Reconciliation
by Keren Olivero
Summary: Feeling guilty about killing the one they intended to save, the magic knights return to Cephiro to restore it.They cross paths with old friends and to their surprise,two people they thought they would never see again.R&R but no rude comments, please.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes:Magic Knight Rayearth and its characters belong to CLAMP, not me. Also I am not making any money off of it, so don't sue me. Got the idea for this fanfiction while watching the second season and seeing how much Hikaru regretted killing Zagato and Princess Emeraude. I kept thinking about how they deserved better and that it was a shame that Zagato didn't get to show how kind he could be. Originally wrote this in 2008 but I decided to revise it since my writing skills grew quite a bit since then. I hope you enjoy. Give me helpful advice where it is needed but please don't flame. _

Prologue

* * *

><p>It felt like months had passed since Princess Emeraude had summoned the legendary magic knights. However,it was only days since their return, for the Cephiro residents had the ability to wish for time to pass as slowly as they wanted it to. Ever since the three girls had returned back to Tokyo,they had been feeling depressed,Hikaru especially. She had killed High Priest Zagato without finding out his true intentions,and had killed Princess Emeraude,too. The pillar had asked the girls to kill her, but they still felt guilty, and sad that there was no other way to help her. They could not keep their minds off of it and their families noticed their change in moods as well.<p>

For instance, Umi had barely touched her breakfast that morning and seemed to be in her own world. Her parents were very concerned about this.

"Umi, is something wrong?" asked Mr. Ryuuzaki, noting his daughter's gloomy expression.

Umi didn't feel like discussing her problems with her parents. She didn't think they would believe that she was actually in another world. "It's nothing," she answered.

"Are you sure?" prodded her mother. "You hardly touched your breakfast. Do you not approve of it?"

"No, no. That's not it. I always like your cooking," insisted the blue haired girl. "I guess I'm just not very hungry at the moment."

But her parents still were not convinced that everything was all right with their daughter. "Perhaps you do not have an appetite because you're feeling ill," suggested Mrs. Ryuuzaki.

"Perhaps we should take her to see a doctor," said Mr. Ryuuzaki.

Umi couldn't believe how difficult her parents were making this. "No no! That won't be necessary! I feel fine. Really!"

"I hope so. We feel blessed to have a daughter like you and cannot bear it if something were to happen to you. And you would not have been brought into this world if I had not met this wonderful person that is your mother," said Mr. Ryuuzaki.

"Oh, that is very kind of you, honey," his wife said. Suddenly she thought of a possible reason why Umi seemed depressed. "Oh Umi, sweetie? Has your heart been broken?"

Umi gave a sigh of mock exasperation. Her parents were always reliving their marriage and honeymoon. "No! It's nothing like that!" _'If only they knew. There is nothing romantic about what has happened to me. I wonder how Hikaru and Fuu are faring...haven't spoken to them since we got back.'_

Umi's parents decided to drop the subject, seeing as how she clearly didn't want to admit that something was bothering her. "Very well, then. I hope you know that if something is wrong, you can always come to us," said Mrs. Ryuuzaki.

"Yes, I know. Thank you."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hikaru had just had another dream about Cephiro, only it was not so much a dream. It was a vision of the battle with Princess Emeraude when she and the other girls had complied with her request and slayed her. Once she realized what she had done, her heart broke in two...she had felt like screaming in despair, but she was sure if she did, her heart would have been ripped out. And she had been having nightmares where an evil woman with a shrill voice kept making threats about obliterating Cephiro. She had never seem this woman before, yet it was very unsettling.<p>

Just then Hikari, her dog ran over to her and started licking her cheek.

"Oh good morning, Hikari." She was glad to see him. His presence helped her to forget her troubles, but just temporarily.

The young girl's older brothers had noticed her change in mood and were very worried.

"Ever since that trip to Tokyo Tower, Hikaru has seemed different," Kakeru said to Masaru . "Do you think something had happened to her?"

Masaru panicked at the question, especially when he thought of the possible incidents she may have had to deal with. "Maybe some people trampled our dear little sister! Or because she's so cute, some guy decided to hit on her."

Kakeru shuddered and was very angry. He was very protective of his little sister and didn't tolerate anyone upsetting her. "I won't tolerate anyone being so rude to our dear little sister!"

"That's right! And if anyone wants to think about dating her, they'll have to show they're worthy by defeating us in a duel!" Masaru pumped his fist.

Satoru thought his brothers were being overly dramatic when they were thinking of possible reasons why Hikaru seemed upset. He decided to find out himself before they came up with any more assumptions. He entered her room.

"You have seemed troubled since your field trip. Whatever is wrong, can you tell me?"

"Everything is fine. Don't worry," said Hikaru. She didn't want to drag her elder brother into something that had nothing to do with him.

"Well if you need a shoulder to cry on, I am here for you," said Satoru. He was calm and controlled when he said that, whereas the other two brothers were very hyper when they showed their concerns.

But Hikaru didn't mind it. She appreciated their support very much. "Thank you Masaru, Kakeru, and Satoru.."

* * *

><p>Later that day, Hikaru was at Tokyo Tower, waiting for her two best friends to arrive. She might have seemed cheerful with her brothers, but in reality she felt like she was dying inside. She hoped that they didn't take their own sweet time getting there. She needed someone to talk to about this.<p>

All of a sudden, someone hugged her from behind. "Please don't look so sad. You're going to make me want to start crying, too." It was Umi.

"Hiya, Umi."

Fuu had arrived as well. "I hope you have been taking care of yourself, Miss Hikaru ."

"Hello, Fuu."

"What's on your mind, Hikaru? Why do you seem so down?" inquired Umi.

"Just thinking about Princess Emeraude." Hikaru felt an assurance around her best friends, like she could let her feelings spill out of her. "I killed her. I killed her with these hands. I wish I hadn't." She held out her hands as if she were studying how sullied they have become from this mission.

Umi agreed with her. She felt so guilty about having seemed uncaring about the threat Cephiro faced. "We should have listened to Zagato. Now it's too late."

"Now that Princess Emeraude is gone, what is the condition?" asked Fuu,worried. She knew that the pillar was the one whose job it was to pray for peace, which meant that unless another pillar had taken Emeraude's place in the short period the girls had returned to Tokyo, Cephiro was in jeopardy.

"I was so selfish and arrogant the first time. I think it was partly my fault," said Umi,wistfully.

Hikaru felt it was her fault,too,for she was only doing what it took to be a magic knight,and was unaware of what she was fighting for.

"It would be nice if we could go to Cephiro again," said Fuu.

"Same here. I want to be able to go to Cephiro and battle for the right reasons this time. I regret the deaths of Zagato and Princess Emeraude," said Hikaru,tearfully. If she could communicate with them somehow, she would ask their forgiveness.

What Fuu,Umi and Hikaru did not know was that they could return to Cephiro without someone summoning them,and that through some miracle, Zagato and Princess Emeraude would be resurrected. At that moment, a flash of light appeared and swallowed the three girls into it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

* * *

><p>The three girls landed on the ground. They looked up and saw that they were in what appeared to be...Cephiro?But how could that be? Only the pillar possessed the power to summon people from another world,and with Princess Emeraude gone, who could have done it? What was going on here? Who was the new pillar, if there was one chosen? So much questions came to mind about this situation.<p>

"What the heck are we doing here?" asked Umi. Not that she was complaining, considering how she was feeling the past few days, but it was a big surprise to her.

"We may have been summoned again," said Fuu.

"Who is it, though. Do you think Clef is able to summon us as well?" wondered Umi.

Hikaru looked around and noticed that the atmosphere and the land itself looked even worse than it did when Princess Emeraude used the last of her strength to send the trio of magic knights back to their own world. There couldn't be another pillar yet. If there were, Cephiro would not look this dreary.

"I don't think there's another pillar yet, guys," said Hikaru. "Look at this place."

Her two friends looked around, and were saddened to see that things did not seem to have improved. "You're right, Miss Hikaru," said Fuu.

Umi was beginning to become slightly annoyed about the unexpected events. "Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Enough fooling around. Time for us to get to the bottom of all this."

Hikaru understood Umi's frustration, but this situation made her more determined to do things right."All the more reason to help out, you guys," she said a bit more enthusiastically.

"I suppose you're right, Miss Hikaru," said Fuu.

Just then, a large baby blue flying fish appeared. It looked extremely familiar.

"Isn't this Clef's flying fish?" asked Hikaru. "He must have summoned it to come for us, you guys."

"Well I don't know about you two, but I'm not gonna stay out here for a minute longer," said Umi.

"You're right!" agreed Hikaru. "Let's go!" The three girls got on Clef's flying fish, wondering where it came to take them.

* * *

><p>Deep in Cephiro where the garden outside Emeraude's castle once was, a flash of light appeared. It seemed to be transporting something or someone. The beam of light cleared, and revealed a truly unbelievable sight. A tall man with extremely long straight black hair was standing there. He was holding a young woman in his arms. This woman had long blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. Was it possible that...? No. High Priest Zagato had been killed by the magic knights, and Princess Emeraude had been killed as well,as a result of her request. But it was them indeed, being transported back to the land of the living by the gods.<p>

For Emeraude it felt like a dream at first. For quite sometime she had been in the land of the dead with her one true love. The last thing she remembered was being told that she and Zagato could have a second chance at life if they agreed to certain conditions. And now here she was back in the crumbling world that was Cephiro.

"Zagato...oh Zagato...I'm so happy to be here with you," said the princess, her voice barely above a whisper.

The high priest gently stroked her hair."Likewise."

Princess Emeraude felt so safe in Zagato's arms. She was glad to be in the arms of the man she loved. But when she looked at the condition of Cephiro,she felt sad. She knew that because of her death,Cephiro was beginning to crumble, and her resurrection would not help. She had to pay a price. She was now an ordinary woman. However, it was a price she was willing to pay if she and her beloved would have another chance at life,and if they would be together this time. But it still pained her to see Cephiro this way. Zagato noticed her sad expression.

"Emeraude?What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Princess Emeraude tearfully told him what was bothering her.

"Tears do not suit you. Everything will be all right," said the high priest.

"I hope so," said Princess Emeraude, resting her head on Zagato's chest. Priest Zagato smiled,and took her to a more private place where no one would see them. He did not want people to know of his and Emeraude's return just yet.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hikaru,Fuu and Umi had been taken to the castle and they were now talking to Master Mage Clef. He was telling them everything that happened since Princess Emeraude's demise. Cephiro had proceeded to crumble, and all of the residents were evacuated into the castle. Also, there was some unknown enemy attacking Cephiro.<p>

Hikaru mentioned that she had been having dreams about Cephiro ever since she and her friends had returned to Tokyo.

Clef wondered what this meant since the girls had already fulfilled their mission so this new threat had nothing to do with them. "What are you girls doing here? You should be in your own world."

"We don't know why we are here ourselves. Apparently you didn't summon us," said Umi.

Mage Clef shook his head. "Only the pillar has the power to do that,and now that Princess Emeraude is gone, we are without one."

Hikaru confided in Clef about how she regretted killing Priest Zagato and Princess Emeraude.

"I feel that it is my fault that Cephiro is crumbling. This occurred because of my blind ambition to become a magic knight. I did not know what I was fighting for," she said.

"Don't blame yourself for this. I was of very little use to you during the battle. I had not told you the entire truth. But you heard Princess Emeraude's final words, did you not?"

"Yes. She said, "thank you," replied Umi.

"That's right. So do not be so hard on yourselves. You have some old friends to meet. I want them to see you girls smiling," said Clef. He lead the girls to his study where Lafarga, Ferio,Caldina, Ascot and Mokona were waiting.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

* * *

><p>Not completely sure of what to expect, the three teen girls entered Clef's study. Sure enough, all of Zagato's former minions that they had managed to become friends with during their first journey, were there. For a moment, the girls felt a little shy. Before Hikaru could say any anything, Caldina came running and gave her a squeeze. "Hey it's so nice to see y'all, little missies!"<p>

Hikaru was a bit surprised, but she relaxed. "It's nice to see you as well, Caldina. And all of you." She was referring to everyone else in the study.

"What are you doing here?" asked Caldina.

"We're not sure ourselves. I don't know who summoned us," answered Fuu.

Caldina thought this was pretty strange that her allies would be in Cephiro when there was no longer a pillar, but she wasn't complaining. Those girls had grown on her and she was actually hoping that she would see them again so that she would get to know them even better. And now here they were."Oh,I see. Well, it's great to see y'all again."

"Likewise," replied Fuu.

"Yes, we really wanted to be back here and I guess we got lucky," agreed Hikaru. She looked around the room. There was Lafarga, Caldina, Ferio and Clef. But where was Ascot and Alcyone? Come to think of it, the girls had not seen Alcyone since the last time they had to fight her. Hikaru and her friends wondered what had become of her.

"Say, where is that middle aged lady dressed in black?" asked Umi.

"Middle aged lady?" repeated Caldina. She gave a confused frown.

"You know, the ice sorceress," confirmed the blue haired teen.

_'Ice sorceress.'_ She now knew who Umi was referring to. "Alcyone?"

"Yes. She's the one."

"I thought so. But you know, if you keep on being brutally honest, you're gonna hurt that old lady's feelings."

Umi didn't know what to say to that.

"To answer your question, Umi, no one knows the whereabouts of Alcyone. She was not seen or heard from since the battle ended," said Lafarga.

"Oh." So maybe she died or something. Though Umi never cared for the sorceress, she thought it was a shame if she died without redeeming herself...that is if something _had_ happened to her. She was about to ask the illusionist and dancer about Ascot. He had to be somewhere. Before she could ask, Caldina looked at her with shifty eyes.

"Little missy, there is someone who has been looking forward to seeing you again, even more than I have. This person really missed you after you went back to your own world."

Umi raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And who is that?"

"You will just have to wait and see now, won't you? Wait here." She gave Umi a surprise smile and went to the corridor.

Umi only shrugged...she had no idea what that was all about. Then she heard Caldina prodding someone to come out. "No need to be shy. You wanted to see her again, remember? Well, now is your chance."

All that followed was muffled protesting. The young teen wondered who Caldina could be talking to. Her question was soon answered. She saw the tan-skinned woman pulling someone by the arm. She was pulling someone who looked like Ascot and not like Ascot at the same time. He wore the same outfit, and had the same brown hair.

Umi couldn't understand. The last time she and her friends had seen him, he was as short as a little kid. Did Ascot have a long lost older brother that she didn't know about? The suspense was killing her.

"Hello. You look so much like Ascot, if you don't mind me saying," was what she managed to say.

Caldina smacked her arm playfully. "Why are you being so silly? That _is_ Ascot!"

"It _is?"_Umi eyed the Ascot look-alike, and could hardly believe that it was him. He had grown so much taller since the first time she and the other girls were in Cephiro. He was possibly taller than she was.

"You look so different!" she gasped. Hikaru and Fuu agreed with her.

"Really? How so?" asked Ascot.

"You've grown so much taller."

"He wanted to be all grown up just for you, little missy!" Caldina told Umi.

"Awwww." Umi was at a loss for words. She thought it was nice of Ascot to do that, but at the same time it was unnecessary, and would definitely take some getting used to.

"You haven't changed at all, Umi. You're still as beautiful as ever," said Ascot.

The blue haired girl couldn't help blushing. She decided that she could really learn to like the new mature Ascot. He surely did have a charming side.

"All right,enough with the warm fuzzy moments already. We have business to discuss," said Caldina,giving Umi an amused look.

"Oh? What business is that?" asked Umi.

Mage Clef told the girls about how monsters had been appearing in Cephiro more than usual. They didn't like the sound of that.

"Because of the disappearance of the pillar, right?" asked Hikaru.

Clef nodded. "And that's not all. There have been invasions as well."

Hikaru thought it was a good thing that she and her friends ended up in Cephiro, even if she wasn't sure how. She didn't think it mattered anymore. This was a chance to make things right that she just couldn't pass up. Not with all of the havoc being wreaked.

"I will help you put an end to all this," she said.

"Same here!" said Umi and Fuu,in unison.

Mage Clef had serious doubts about this. The girls had already fulfilled their mission. This new threat had nothing to do with them. He didn't even like the idea that they were in Cephiro at this time, but Hikaru's proposition was even more dangerous and risky.

"Young girls from another world...I do not think it is a good idea to get involved. This battle has nothing to do with you." But there was no way Hikaru was going to listen to that.

"Please? It would give us something to do. Give me a chance to make things right and battle without regrets."

"I am with Miss Hikaru," said Fuu.

"Me too," piped up Umi. "We can't just let you face danger alone. Besides, with our help, chances of winning will be increased. "

The magician looked at the three teenagers. They had very determined looks on their face and seemed very serious about wanting to give help. What they were saying sounded sensible as well. This meant that he would have to ask Sierra to make weapons for them, but he did need all the help he could get, since there was no telling how strong this threat would become. He finally conceded.

"Just know that this will be a dangerous battle,so be careful. I do not want any more lives to be lost."

"We'll do our best," said Hikaru.

"I know you will."

* * *

><p>Sierra was in her bedroom,thinking about things. She recalled the day Presea, her twin sister, sacrificed her life to make weapons for the magic knights. She knew that they were deeply saddened by Presea's death,and that although Princess Emeraude wished for the deceased to be resurrected, it was unlikely that the wish would be granted.<p>

'_Rest assured, if I cross paths with the legendary magic knights, I will spare them the pain by pretending to be my sister,' _vowed Sierra. Mokona hopped next to her. "Pu, pu, pu!"

Sierra proceeded to stroke the magical bunny's fur. Mokona was good company when she felt lonely, but she still wished Presea was around. Well, at least by pretending to be her, it would feel like they were not apart. And at least she now had a chance to win Clef's love. She knew that it was selfish and cruel to look on the bright side of such a tragic event, but she couldn't help it. She harbored feelings for the mage for a long time, but controlled her feelings because it would have been selfish of her to keep him for herself since her sister also loved him.

Speaking of Clef, she decided to go see what he was up to.

* * *

><p>Zagato and Princess Emeraude were in a garden. They had to use their wills to recreate it as a result of the original one disappearing.<p>

"Zagato? What are you going to so about the pillar system now? Are you still going to eliminate it?" the princess asked Zagato.

"No. It doesn't matter anymore," answered Zagato. Not in his nature to give up, but considering that his obsession with destroying the legend of the magic knights was what got him killed in the first place, he was glad to, now that he was given this second chance.

Princess Emeraude was a little surprised to hear that...but surprised in a pleasant way because it showed that he really was going to hold up his end of the bargain. She had not told him this, but a part of her was actually glad that she paid the price she did. She wondered if it was selfish of her to feel that way.

_'I hope Lantis returns to Cephiro. It is up to him to dispose of the pillar system,' _thought Zagato. He knew that Lantis had left Cephiro shortly after Emeraude was chosen as the pillar and long before the battle with the magic knights. Princess Emeraude asked Zagato when they would appear before the people of Cephiro.

"All in good time," he replied. He was not ready to face those who stood alongside the princess yet. He imagined that they would be surprised to see him and Princess Emeraude alive.

"Oh." She hoped soon. She was sure that the garden would disappear again. They couldn't be in seclusion forever. She told Zagato that she loved him.

"I love you,too," said Zagato,stroking Emeraude's golden tresses.

Princess Emeraude gave a happy sigh,and stroked Zagato's long silky ebony coloured tresses. They gazed lovingly into each other's eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 

* * *

><p>Lafarga and the other former minions of Zagato(minus Alcyone)had gone to residential headquarters to check on those who had been evacuated into the castle thus far. Mage Clef had just finished bestowing magic on the 3 girls from another world. It brought back memories of the first time they were in Cephiro and they were given magic powers. One good thing was that they had become familiar with the magic so it wasn't new to them. But this time, they would be using that power to battle of their own free will.<p>

The three girls looked down at their uniform and saw that they had armor once again. It was a nice feeling to have become true magic knights, despite the mixed feelings they had about the cost.

"I can feel the power inside of me...just like the first time we were here," said Hikaru.

"That's right. Your old powers have returned to you. You and your friends will also have new powers, revealed in due time," said Clef.

"New powers?" Umi asked. Things were starting to look up for her. "Cool."

Clef was glad to see a change in Umi. She was much more cooperative, compared to how she was when he first met her. "Yes. You will need these new powers to defeat the new threat, and even then, that may not be enough."

Umi groaned...the negative talk was soo depressing and was making her nervous. Not a good sign, since she was pumped about the battle before.

"Mr. Clef, who exactly is invading Cephiro?" asked Fuu.

"It appears to be people who reside in the neighboring countries, Autozam, Chizeta and Fahren. The pillar's prayers kept intruders from entering this country. Her demise has made it that much more simple for enemies to invade Cephiro."

"I see." The thought of an invasion was very bad news. But Fuu was not one to easily panic. "Is there anything else that you can tell us about these potential enemies, Mr. Clef?"

"At this point, very little is known about them. You will know of their arrival by the means of travel that they use. You girls will have to be prepared for the worst."

"We understand." Hikaru didn't like the idea of an invasion one bit, but she wasn't going to fight these people until she learned of their true motives. She was sure her friends felt the same way. "I'll be glad to help in any way I can."

"Thank you."

Just then,Sierra entered the study. The magic knights could not believe their eyes. This girl looked like a splitting image of Presea. But it couldn't be. She had died as a result of one of Ascots monsters attacking, which caused her to be crushed to death by a large rock. They remembered the death as if it had happened the day before. What was going on here?

"Greetings,magic knights," said Sierra. "It has been quite a while. I am so happy to see you girls again."

At first, Hikaru didn't know what to say. The one person who had died in her arms was standing before her. At least she hoped that was the case and she and her friends were not being tricked. "Presea!Is it really you?" she finally managed to ask.

"Yes. It's me," said Sierra,smiling. She felt rather terrible deceiving Hikaru but thought it was for the best. She wasn't sure if Hikaru and her friends were over her twin's death yet.

Hikaru ran to Sierra and hugged her. Sierra held her close.

"I can't believe it! I thought you were dead," said Hikaru.

Fuu and Umi were in total shock as well. "I remember that day very clearly," said Fuu. "You had disappeared in Miss Hikaru's arms and not even my healing magic was enough to save you."

"Well,I am back. Do you not see that it is me holding you in my arms?"

"I'm glad."

"It appears that Princess Emeraude's wish has come true," said Mage Clef.

"Huh?Which wish was that?" asked Umi,confused.

Master Mage Clef explained that Princess Emeraude had wished for those who were lost in the battle to be resurrected. He also said that the miracle only happened once. If someone died in a battle during a time there's no pillar,the deceased would not return.

"Oh,I see," said Fuu.

"I'm so glad I get an opportunity to apologize to you," said Hikaru.

Sierra was puzzled.

"Oh?" she asked.

"I apologize for not doing more to protect you on the day you died," said Hikaru contritely.

"It was not your fault. There's no need to apologize," Sierra reassured her.

Hikaru hugged Sierra again.

"So what brings you girls here?" asked Sierra.

"We are not sure. But we wanted to come back to Cephiro to help rebuild it, and participate in the battle that is taking place."

"Could you lend us some weapons?"

"All right," said Sierra. One good thing about this pretense was that she was a mastersmith as well, so the three girls wouldn't suspect anything. She raised her arm in a mystic gesture, and the weapons appeared. They were exactly like the weapons the magic knights used the first time around.

Sierra was glad that she created something that the girls would find worth using. "These are weapons that only true magic knights can use," said Sierra. "However, your armor and weapons will be different this time. These swords and your armor will only evolve when you think the time is right."

Hikaru was about to thank Sierra when all of a sudden, a blinding flash of light swallowed her and the two girls and transported them outside. This alarmed the mastersmith.

"Hikaru! Umi! Fuu!" She hoped that nothing would happen to them.

* * *

><p>Princess Emeraude was lying in a hammock. She admired the flowers and trees that she had managed to help create with the strength of her heart. She had to admit that it felt very nice to no longer have restrictions on her heart and she was working on not thinking she was selfish for feeling happy about her freedom in this life. Zagato walked over to her.<p>

"You are far more beautiful than these flowers," he told the former pillar, gently touching her face. Her skin felt very delicate and smooth. Come to think of it, he had longed to do that for so long.

Emeraude felt hot and cold by his gentle touch and she blushed at the compliment. He had never told her anything like that before. Though who knew what would have happened had their love been allowed to bloom when she was the pillar. "Do you really think so?" she asked.

The raven haired priest nodded.

"I want you to promise me one thing," he said, looking deep into her eyes.

"What is it?" asked Princess Emeraude.

"Promise me that you'll let me see a smile on your face," said Zagato,taking Emeraude's hand in his. He had his fill of seeing her suffer so much when she was the pillar. It was something he never wanted to see again.

The princess knew that it would take quite awhile for her to be completely happy, but she felt this promise was one she would be able to make eventually. "I promise,darling."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

* * *

><p>While outside, the magic knights had a very interesting experience, to say the least. Their Rune-Gods had appeared to ask the girls to fight alongside them once more, and took them beyond the sky. It was pretty weird since the girls had been expecting just a meeting with the Rune-Gods, but it was apparently more than that. There was a very large aircraft and its aviator was Eagle Vision of Autozam. Hikaru and her friends were not sure what to make of this Eagle person or his colleagues. It seemed weird to them and somewhat of a relief that these enemies were only there for an introduction. Not to mention that they didn't give a straight answer when asked what their true purpose was for invading Cephiro.<p>

After the little "adventure" beyond the sky, the magic knights were transported back to the castle. If they hadn't known any better they would have thought the meeting with Eagle was just a dream. It certainly felt like one but a mere dream would not leave them feeling so shaken unless it was really disturbing.

"It's about time we got back here," said Umi, sounding a bit grumpy. She thought that little detour with Eagle was a waste of her time when she could have been doing other things.

Clef and Sierra were glad to see that Hikaru and her best friends had returned, and they appeared to be unharmed.

"Are you girls all right?" asked the ancient magician. He had sensed something outside and when he used his staff to see what or who had appeared, he was worried when he saw the Autozam battle ship.

"We're fine, Mr. Clef," Fuu reassured him.

"Good." Since he didn't know the Autozam natives well, he couldn't be sure that they could be trusted.

Hikaru thought of something she wanted to do—explore the castle, since she and her friends would be living there for awhile. She whispered this to them, and they nodded in agreement.

"Well Clef and Presea, we're going to take a look around the castle, if that's all right with you," she said.

"It's fine. Just be careful."

"Enjoy yourselves."

"We will." The three girls exited the study.

* * *

><p>High Priest Zagato and Princess Emeraude were in an isolated area of the castle. They had been wandering around the desolate wasteland that Cephiro had become. It had become too dark to remain in the garden, which was starting to dissipate anyway. Emeraude became sadder when she realized that Cephiro was in worse shape than she originally suspected, but she kept her cool. Still, she was glad when she and Zagato came across an enormous castle. A good place to stay. The only thing she was worried about was that she and her lover might not have the privacy they had in the garden. Luckily, they had managed to find a peace and quiet place that was just right for them.<p>

Zagato was finally ready to face the citizens of Cephiro he had crossed paths with. He hoped that they would see his desire to make amends for his actions as sincere, but at the same time he didn't expect them to trust him so easily. Not after he started a war against people who were trying to rescue Emeraude, brainwashed Lafarga, turned his former master into stone and tried many times to have the magic knights killed. Speaking of the magic knights, he wondered what had become of them after they fulfilled the legend and returned to their own world. It would be nice if he got to make peace with his former enemies as well, but that was impossible unless the girls had returned to Cephiro for some purpose.

The princess noticed that Zagato had not said much since they both left the garden, and wondered what he was thinking about. "Zagato?What's on your mind?" she asked.

"It's about time we come out of hiding. I do not expect forgiveness for my transgressions this soon, however I am prepared to accept whatever penalty I am given."

Princess Emeraude nodded in understanding. She knew better than to tell him not to worry about being punished, for if she were in his shoes, she would feel the same way, or worse, since she was a bit weaker emotionally. She didn't want to make a big deal of it, but she was proud of him for making such a decision. "So what you are saying is that you want to make amends for your past actions?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Zagato,in his deep,quiet voice.

"Let's go,then."

* * *

><p>Hikaru and her friends had only seen the front area of the castle, where they had originally entered, but they liked what they saw so far. They were about to explore where the bedrooms were, to see which ones were free for them to use for the duration of their stay in Cephiro. They spotted Ferio and Mokona standing next to him. They were happy to see him. They had been wondering about him. And they were surprised that Mokona was with him and not Sierra.<p>

Ferio walked up to the magic knights. He was surprised but also very happy to see his old friends. He was afraid that what he had to tell them would have been left unsaid forever.

"Legendary magic knights...I do not know what you are doing here, but welcome back. I have something to tell you girls that I didn't get a chance to say before. "

"It's nice to see you , too," replied Fuu.

Hikaru was curious about what Ferio had to say. "What is it, Ferio?"

"You have done the one thing necessary for the world to be saved when you eliminated the pillar. Thank you very much."

The fact that Hikaru and her friends were being praised for something they didn't think was such a heroic deed made them feel miserable. The pink haired girl shook her head.

"Don't thank us. We failed. We killed the person we were supposed to save," she said. Mokona hopped over to her and she picked him up, stroking behind his bunny ears. He seemed to enjoy that feeling very much.

"There's no need to blame yourself. Didn't you hear Princess Emeraude's last words?" asked Ferio.

"Yes. She said thank you to us," said Umi. Yet she still felt terrible because she wished it didn't have to be that way.

Ferio nodded. "Do not be so hard on yourselves You've granted the wish of my elder sister," he said.

The three girls gasped.

"Sister?" asked Umi.

Ferio explained to the girls how he had no memories of his relation to Princess Emeraude until their battle with Inouva. Princess Emeraude had done a memory wipe on him long ago,and that was why he believed that he was alone as a child. Fuu felt sadder than she felt before,when she heard that the princess was Ferio's elder sister. The horrible realization came to her that she and the other 2 magic knights had killed Ferio's sister.

"So that means..I killed your elder sister," said Fuu. She felt so despicable at the moment. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Ferio held Fuu close.

"It's all right,Fuu. Please don't cry now. A smile suits you much better," he told her.

"Oh Ferio," said Fuu, in a barely audible voice.

At that moment, a tall man with short black hair entered, holding an unconscious woman in his arms. Hikaru was ecstatic! Another potential new friend, depending on what type of person he was. But when she noticed that this man was bleeding, she became worried.

"Are you hurt?"

The man shook his head.

"This is not my blood you see."

"Oh? Then whose blood is it?" asked Hikaru.

"You heard the man. It's not his blood," said a shrill female's voice.

A tiny fairy with sky blue hair appeared. She was known as Primera and she liked to tag along with Lantis everywhere he went.

"This blood is from the blood of monsters," continued the man.

Lafarga had a puzzled expression on his face. He thought all of the people in Cephiro had already been evacuated. And he wondered how long Lantis had been in Cephiro and why he was just showing up now.

"Lantis,what happened to this woman?" he asked.

"She was not evacuated in time," replied Lantis.

"I see. Why didn't you say that there were others who needed to be evacuated?"

"I didn't think it needed to be mentioned," replied Lantis.

The magic knights introduced themselves.

"So you 3 are the legendary magic knights," said Lantis.

Hikaru was worried that Lantis had gotten hurt,although he denied it. She offered to have Fuu heal him. Before Fuu could heal Lantis, Primera yelled at her to stop.

"Only I can heal the wounds of Lantis!" said Primera. She chanted a magic spell, and in an instant the blood on Lantis disappeared.

"I leave this woman in your hands," Lantis told Primera. He left the room.

_'Hmm. I can't put my finger on it, but that man's voice sounds so familiar,'_ thought Hikaru. Though she had just met him, she thought he was a nice enough person. Primera, on the other hand, was another story. She seemed so possessive and jealous, she seemed like she would be hard to get along with. But she was willing to try anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>Hikaru's curiosity about why Lantis sounded so familiar was getting to her. He sounded so similar to Zagato, only slightly less intimidating. She also noticed there was a hint of kindness in his voice.<p>

"Um..does Lantis have some sort of relation to Zagato?" she asked. The similarities were much too close to just be a coincidence.

"That he does. The truth is that Lantis is the younger brother of High Priest Zagato," said Lafarga.

Hikaru's suspicions were confirmed, but she was still a little surprised. "Oh really?"

"His younger brother?" asked Umi. She couldn't comment much on him since he had not said much, but as far as she could tell he seemed to be the quiet type.

Lafarga nodded.

"Now that you've mentioned it, he sounds exactly like his brother," said Caldina.

"How come we knew nothing of him when we were first summoned here?" asked Hikaru.

Lafarga told of how Lantis left the country long before the magic knights were summoned.

"That would explain why I haven't heard of him when I worked for Zagato," said Caldina.

"I've never met him either," said Ascot.

Lafarga thought there was something fishy about this. Lantis had disappeared without a trace right after the princess had become the pillar and the fact that he didn't return at the most impeccable time—when the pillar was gone-bothered him a bit. He would have to find out what his purpose was for returning at such a time.

* * *

><p>Later that night,while asleep, Hikaru had a horrific dream. In the dream, there was an odd looking evil woman. Her eyes glowed red, and she proceeded to laugh evilly. The laughter was extremely spine chilling...and annoying,too. There was someone else with the woman...someone who looked a lot like Hikaru. Could it be? Hikaru woke up and started panting. The dream was almost overwhelming for her. She was not even sure if she could go back to sleep.<p>

Ferio was feeling wide awake, so he decided to take a walk. Just as he had exited his bedroom, he heard footsteps coming toward him. He looked to see who it was. It was none other than his elder sister, Emeraude. He could not believe his eyes. She had been slain by the magic knights. Was this some sort of a trick? Someone toying with his emotions and exploiting how much he missed her? He hoped not. Overcome by shock, he fainted. Princess Emeraude realized that her presence when he least expected it must have been too much for him. Not that she blamed him. If she were him, she would be freaked out as well. She walked over to him and gently patted his cheeks. He slowly opened his eyes.

"It's been a long time,brother," said Emeraude.

"You're back. How can that be?" asked Ferio.

Emeraude told Ferio everything.

"I see," said Ferio,getting up. The fact that this was for real still boggled his mind, but he wasn't complaining. He was glad to have her back. He would have a chance to catch up with her after such a long time. Still, he couldn't help but wonder one thing. If she had returned, did this mean that Zagato was back, too? "So,where's Zagato? Has he returned with you?"

"That he has. He's speaking with Mage Clef," replied Emeraude.

"Ah I see." He didn't exactly have very fond memories of the high priest. He wondered what Zagato's state of mind was this time. However, he knew how important Zagato was to Emeraude so for her sake he would give him a chance.

"I am glad you're back."

"So am I," replied his sister. She wondered how Zagato was faring.

* * *

><p>Hikaru was unable to go back to sleep,thanks to the dream she just had. She changed back into her uniform, and decided to take a walk. As she was walking down the hallway, she heard a child crying.<p>

_'Huh? Who's that?'_thought Hikaru. She kept quiet and listened.

The child tearfully told Lantis about a scary dream she had.

"What did you see in your dream?" asked Lantis.

"I can't really remember. But it was really scary. There was this giant monster that ate everybody up," said the little girl.

"It ate everybody?" asked Lantis.

"I don't want to get eaten by a scary dream," said the little girl,whimpering.

Lantis assured her that nothing would eat her. Hikaru followed the sound of the voices. She saw Lantis and a little girl. Something about this little girl rang a bell, though she didn't know her name. Lantis barely noticed Hikaru's presence. He turned back to the little girl, and asked her, "Would you be able to find your room from here?"

"Sure I can," replied the little girl.

"Then I'll walk you back," said Lantis," I promise that you won't have any more scary dreams."

Lantis lifted the little girl up, and started to go and take her back to her room. Hikaru walked up to Lantis, and shyly greeted him. The little girl noticed Hikaru,and said hi.

"Remember when you saved me from the monster?" she asked.

Hikaru thought back to when she and her friends were first summoned,and a monster was attacking a girl and her mother. She recalled the girl giving her a white flower as a gift.

"Yes, I remember you. You're the one who gave me that pretty flower," said Hikaru.

"Yes,you remember! I never got a chance to thank you for saving me."

"It's okay. Thank you for the flower."

The little girl also told Hikaru how nice Lantis was, and what he did to help her and her mom.

"Where are you going?" Hikaru asked Lantis.

"Residential quarters," he answered.

"May I go with you?" asked Hikaru. This would be her chance to get to know him better, hopefully without interruptions this time. That could get old rather quickly.

"Sure!" answered the little girl.

Hikaru followed Lantis and the little girl. She thought about how kindhearted Lantis seemed. Although she remembered his elder brother as being somewhat ruthless, she felt badly about killing him without knowing his true motives, especially now that she was in the presence of the high priest's younger brother. She knew that she owed Lantis a large apology. She wasn't sure if he would forgive her, but she had to get it off her chest and let him know that if she had to do the battle all over again, she would have listened to his elder brother. And she hoped what she did would not ruin any chances of a friendship blossoming.

_'If only I could apologize to Zagato,too. But he's dead,thanks to me.'_Soon, Hikaru, Lantis and the little girl were at residential quarters. Lantis put the little girl down. She thanked him, and asked Hikaru her name.

"I'm Hikaru Shidou,but my friends call me Hikaru," said Hikaru.

"Can I call you that?" asked the little girl.

"Sure!But only if you tell me your name."

The little girl introduced herself as Mira.

"Bye,Mister! See you later,Hikaru!" said Mira. She went to her room.

Hikaru looked at Lantis,unsure of how she wanted to talk to him at first.

"So,you're Zagato's younger brother,right?" she finally asked.

"I am," replied Lantis.

Hikaru confessed to him that she was the one who killed his older brother."Go ahead and hit me if you want. Just leave my friends Umi and Fuu out of this. They were depressed about it after we went back to our own world. So take your anger out on me," she said.

To her surprise, Lantis had a soft and kind expression on his face. She was relieved when he said, "I'm not going to hit you. I am sure that you were saddened about this as well. You are a legendary magic knight and I have no reason to place any blame upon you. Instead,I blame the pillar system."

Just then, Primera appeared having one of her hissy fits. "What do you think you're doing? I'm only gone for awhile and you're conspiring to steal Lantis from me? He is mine, you got that? _I _am the one he once rescued from monsters, not you! While I am usually very easygoing, I won't stand for a little twerp like you stealing my Lantis! From this moment on we'll be rivals! You're no match for me when it comes to rivals in romance!"

"Rivals in romance?" the teen girl repeated. She was in total disbelief over how Primera was quick to get the wrong idea and jump to conclusions. All she wanted was to be Lantis' friend but it seemed like she couldn't even do that. She wasn't sure how to convince the tiny fairy that friendship was all she wanted. She was almost glad when she sensed Clef calling her.

"There's someone it is rather important for you to see," he said.

'_Hmm. I wonder who that could be,'_ thought Hikaru. "I'll be right back, Lantis." She left the residential quarters and went to Clef's study. Her best friends were there, too. When she saw why he had called and made it sound so urgent, her heart almost stopped.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>Standing before Master Mage Clef was none other than High Priest Zagato. This was even more inconceivable than Presea being back, even though her resurrection taught them that miracles could happen. But they hoped with all their heart that this wasn't a sign of their guilt coming back to haunt them in some shape or form. That was the most cruel thing that could ever be done to them.<p>

It took Hikaru awhile to get her heartbeat under control, but she was still paralyzed by astonishment to the point she was mute. She also felt a bit shy, which was a rarity for her. _'Oh this is just great,'_ she thought._ 'Why did this have to happen now?' _Zagato broke the ice.

"Greetings, magic knights," he said.

Still in shock, Hikaru, Fuu and Umi managed to weakly greet the high priest. It was truly an awkward comment, being in the presence of their one time enemy. They were not sure how he could be alive after they had destroyed him. Their combination attack had exploded him right before their eyes. And they did not know whether he would be their friend or foe this time. They needed some answers. But the questions would have to wait for a bit.

_'Don't be such a dolt,' _ said a voice in Hikaru's head. _'Now is your chance to apologize to him, which you wanted, remember?' _"Zagato? I owe you an apology," she said a bit timidly.

Zagato raised an eyebrow. "An apology?" he repeated.

Hikaru nodded. "I was so blinded by my ambitions that I killed you without finding out your true intentions. And when I found out the truth from Princess Emeraude, I realized that you were not to blame. I realized that I should have listened to you in the first place. So for that,I am truly sorry," said Hikaru.

"So am I," said Fuu.

"Same here," said Umi.

Zagato glanced at the magic knights. They looked utterly ashamed of their actions. He didn't want them to take the entire blame. Deep down he knew he was worthy of death.

"It is all right. I should be the one delivering an apology to you girls from another world," replied Zagato.

"For what? It wasn't your fault," said Hikaru.

"As a high priest,I went against my duties, due to my selfishness," said Zagato.

That was true, but when the story came out, she understood why he tried to stop them from becoming magic knights. She couldn't say that she blamed him all that much. "Well, you're forgiven," she said warmly.

Zagato half smiled at the magic knights. One thing he could say about them this time is that they had a forgiving nature.

Umi was very glad that her once greatest enemy was facing up to his errors, but she wanted to be sure that she and her friends were not being tricked."I don't mean to be rude,but...how can it be that you're alive?"

"I have been granted another chance."

"I see." Umi had another question. She hated to annoy him with so many questions so this would be her last one. "So if you're back, does that mean Princess Emeraude is, too?"

"Yes. However,she had to pay a price. She is now an ordinary human."

Umi thought that was a heavy price to pay, given the condition of Cephiro, but a worthy one as well if it meant she could have the happiness and freedom she deserved.

"I hope we can be friends now," said Hikaru.

"That we can," Zagato assured her. To show he meant it,he gave the magic knights firm handshakes. It felt so good to them that they made peace with their former enemy. Just then, a battle ship appeared outside.

Lantis sensed this, and came to see what was going on. He saw his elder brother Zagato,and was speechless.

"Well,well,it's been a long time,younger brother," said Zagato.

"Likewise. How can it be that you're alive,after the magic knights destroyed you?" asked Lantis.

"It doesn't matter," replied Zagato.

"Magic knights, look outside," said Mage Clef. He used his staff to show them outside.

"Oh my! It's the battleship of Autozam...but it looks bigger than the first battleship we saw," said Umi.

"Lantis,you traveled to Autozam. Do you recognize this battleship?" asked Mage Clef.

"It is the NSX," replied Lantis.

Hikaru asked what an NSX was.

"It belongs to the strongest commander of Autozam...Eagle Vision," answered Lantis.

"Eagle Vision!" gasped Hikaru. She was sort of glad that he had returned so she could try again to get a straight answer from him on what his true purpose was. Even though things were all right now, she was sticking with her decision to negotiate with her new enemies before engaging in a battle so that she wouldn't repeat her past mistakes. She wanted to show that she learned her lesson. Umi and Fuu felt the same way. The trio of best friends started to leave the study.

"Where do you magic knights think you're going?" asked Mage Clef.

"To find Eagle. I'd like to talk to him," said Hikaru.

"Talk to him?"asked Clef.

Hikaru nodded.

"I do not want to fight anyone anymore without knowing their true intention,and what I'm really fighting for." She and the others left. Zagato chuckled at this.

_'Those magic knights never cease to amaze me,' _he thought.

Just then, Lafarga,Sierra, Caldina, Princess Emeraude entered the study.

* * *

><p>The magic knights evolved their armor, and called forth their Rune-Gods. The Rune-Gods soared into the sky.<p>

"It's those Rune-Gods again," said Geo.

Zazu wasn't too pleased to see them again. He was clearly still sore about their first encounter even though there was not an official battle then."Ugh!Darn those lousy Rune-Gods!They sent my FTO to the repair shop."

"Suck it up,Zazu. It's only the second time that old FTO ever needed repairing," said Geo.

"That's right. The first time was against Lantis."

"Yeah, and you had to work hard to fix it, too," said Geo.

That was something Zazu didn't need reminding of. He had thought he would never be able to use it again.

Suddenly, a woman's sinister laughter was heard. There was a small star-like light shining.

"What is that?" asked Umi. Something about the woman's laughter sounded familiar, only it was even more diabolical than she remembered.

A woman with long black hair,standing on a hideous crimson colored monster appeared.

"Miss Alcyone!" gasped Fuu.

"So she is alive after all," said Hikaru.

It was clear for Umi that Alcyone was still evil. But she wondered who put her up to this onslaught. It could not have been Zagato. Zagato was not one to use disguises, he was straightforward when he made his evil schemes. Besides, he had just said that he was no longer a foe. "I see she hasn't changed a bit! She still has a bad attitude!"

Alcyone was rather amused by Umi's hostility. "Long time no see,magic knights!" she said,laughing. She shot a blast of energy at the Rune-Gods. It was one she was using against the young warriors for the first time.

What little pity Umi had felt for the ice sorceress faded."She's kidding herself if she thinks she can hurt a Rune-God."

The attack hit Selece, causing him to fall out of the sky. Alcyone laughed again. "It's the beginning of the end for you neophyte magic knights! You may have defeated me before, but this time you don't stand a a chance!Prepare to meet your doom!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>Zagato was positively tickled by Alcyone's overconfidence. He thought she was a fool for thinking she had what it took to defeat the magic knights. If she could have defeated them, she would have done it a long time ago, while she was working for him. The fact that she failed him so many times proved how useless she was.<p>

_'Quit your ludicrous farce, you foolish woman. Your efforts to defeat the magic knights are utterly futile,' _he thought. His opinion of the magic knights' skills was higher as a result of him having to learn the hard way not to underestimate them. And from this moment on, he would be rooting for them.

Princess Emeraude looked on in horror as she watched the magic knights struggle to battle Alcyone. Of course she knew that they would eventually face enemies more dangerous than the vengeful sorceress. _'Please triumph, young girls from another world.'_

"What were those crazy magic knights thinking,going out there?" wondered Caldina. She couldn't understand what good talking to those of Autozam would possibly do. And she was especially afraid that they would get themselves killed.

"Let it go,Caldina," said Zagato.

Caldina was astonished at this...she didn't expect him to say something like that. "I'm just looking out for their best interest."

"The magic knights have proven how formidable they truly are. Alcyone cannot hope to defeat them. Her ambition will be her undoing."

Caldina found it rather strange that Zagato had a high opinion of the magic knights. However,she also thought it was nice to see. He had never shown his warmer side during the period she served him.

"I guess you're right," she said. She understood where her former master was coming from, especially since she had fought the magic knights and lost, just as Alcyone did.

* * *

><p>Hikaru had another chilling dream. She dreamt about the girl who resembled her. In the dream,the girl had said that she and Hikaru would meet very soon.<p>

_'What a dream,_' thought Hikaru. It was so frustrating, not knowing who this girl was and what she wanted with her. And the fact that it happened during the battle with Alcyone, too? Not the best time to be feeling shaken up. She had to stay focused if she hoped to vanquish her adversary. After she defeated Alcyone, there was Eagle and his fleet to worry about—that is, if they were still there.

Fuu asked Hikaru if she was all right,for she seemed a bit lost.

"It's nothing," replied Hikaru.

"All right. If you're sure," said Fuu. She could tell that Hikaru wasn't being completely truthful but she would probe her for the info later, since there were more important things to worry about at the moment.

Hikaru looked at Alcyone, and noted that something seemed off in her eyes, as if she were under the control of an evil force. Suddenly, she felt compelled to reason with the sorceress. She didn't want to fight her. But the question was how would she do it? Alcyone wasn't exactly the most approachable person in the world. After giving it some thought, she decided to try the "I'm looking out for your best interest" tactic. "Alcyone, listen to me."

Umi wondered what Hikaru was thinking about. Surely she wasn't going to try talking to Alcyone...she didn't think the sorceress was worth the effort.

Alcyone looked at the magic knight of fire, as if to say, "go on."

"Cephiro is in danger of being destroyed, so that means you're unsafe as well. I know you don't trust my friends and me because we were once enemies, but please consider what I'm saying and join us in the castle."

Alcyone wondered why this girl would show concern for her after she had concocted scheme after scheme in an attempt to destroy her and the other two magic knights. Maybe it was a trick on Hikaru's part to distract her long enough so her friends could attack and try to win the battle. Well, she wasn't falling for it. Before she could respond, she could hear Lady Debonair mentally telling her to retreat. She was disappointed and wanted to know why, since she was just getting started. But she knew better than to question her superiors.

"We will meet again, magic knights!" she promised, and then disappeared into a black hole.

"She's gone," said Hikaru. "Without saying how she felt about the offer. For awhile it looked like she was going to consider."

Umi still didn't think the sorceress was to be trusted and had yet to be proven wrong. _'Well good riddance.'_

"I'm sure she will come around eventually," Fuu reassured Hikaru.

"I hope so."

"We meet again,lady magic knights," said a familiar voice.

"That voice," gasped Hikaru. She glanced up and saw that the NSX was still there. She thought Eagle had left.

Umi wasn't too happy to see Eagle again, but at least this was her chance to get some information out of him."It's you again."

"It's nice that you girls remember me," said Eagle.

Umi was not in the mood for his feigned cheerfulness."Oh,spare us. We have a question we'd like to ask you."

"Hmmm?" asked Eagle,a bit surprised. He found it a bit strange that the magic knights were interrogating him instead of appearing to be prepared for battle. He was curious to hear what they had to ask him.

"What is your purpose for invading Cephiro?" asked Hikaru.

Eagle was taken aback by such a question. These girls were as curious as kittens. "Why do you want to know that?"

"We do not want to fight anymore,without knowing the other side," explained Hikaru.

Eagle looked thoughtful. He had to admit, the reason did make sense. And he actually had a question of his own for them. "I see. Answer me this first. What will you do with Cephiro?"

"We're going to protect it," answered Umi.

"Protect it,you say?"

Hikaru nodded.

"Very well," said Eagle. He told the magic knights Autozam's objectives for invading Cephiro.

"Mr. Eagle, you should not overestimate the power of the pillar system," Fuu warned him."It is not as almighty as you think."

"I believe it would benefit Autozam greatly. Sorry girls, but between your objectives and ours, there is nothing left but war," said Eagle.

Hikaru was hoping that she wasn't going to have to fight Eagle and his comrades, but with the response he gave, she knew she and her friends had no choice. Still, she was determined not to give up.

* * *

><p>Little did Eagle know, Lady Aska,princess of Fahren had been listening to his conversation with the magic knights. The conversation angered Aska, for she had aspired to become the pillar of Cephiro as well. She gave an angry yell. Sang Yung came to see what was wrong. She told him about Eagle's conversation with the magic knights.<p>

"I will NOT allow that to happen! I will become the pillar!" said Aska,impetuously. She was a bit bratty when it came to getting what she wanted.

An elderly man known as Chang Ang asked the black haired princess to calm herself.

"You're not acting like a lady," he said.

"Silence,big mouth!" snapped Aska. She found the old man's lectures tiresome at times. She came up with an idea. "Sang Yung, paper and brush!"

"Uh..okay," said Sang Yung,hesitantly. He did as she asked, for fear of feeling of the princess' wrath.

Chang Ang groaned at this. He knew why Aska had asked for the paper and the brush. He could recall an incident when she had carelessly used a high level illusion. He didn't like her showing off like that. He repeatedly had to tell her to be careful when choosing which spells to use,but she refused to listen.

"Here you go,princess," said Sang Yung,giving Aska the paper and brush. The raven haired princess picked up the brush and proceeded to create a dragon-like monster.

"Aska,what do you think you're doing?" asked Chang Ang.

"What does it look like?" snapped the princess of Fahren. She thought the man could be so dense sometimes.

Chang Ang ignored Aska's tone.

"How many times have I told you not to use high level illusions so carelessly?" scolded the old man mildly.

"Silence,big mouth!" She appreciated him looking out for her best interest, but she was not going to be stopped.

Chang Ang groaned at Aska's poor manners. Sometimes he feared that she would never live up to her title. Aska was done creating her monster. She chanted a spell,using different hand gestures that produced different Chinese symbols. A red dragon-like creature appeared outside. She chuckled to herself. _'No one's going to stand in the way of my destiny now.' _


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

* * *

><p>Eagle and his colleagues saw the dragon, and decided to retreat for the moment and let it have some fun with the magic knights. He would make preparations while away. Lady Aska was disappointed when she saw that the Autozam battleships were gone. She had wanted to punish them for usurping what she felt was her job. She sulked for awhile, then her face brightened a bit when she saw 3 robots. She had heard of them so many times and now they were there before her very eyes.<p>

"Hey Chang Ang,aren't those robots the 3 legendary Rune-Gods?" she asked.

"Why yes they are," answered Chang Ang. "You know, you really need to keep up on your studies." It was so nerve-wracking when the young girl didn't take her duties seriously and he had to tell her everything.

"Okay, okay! I was just asking, no need to bite my head off!" Despite the annoyance Lady Aska showed, she was actually ecstatic about this. Her desire to become the pillar grew even stronger. But that was not her only desire. She had her eyes on the Rune-Gods. From what little she had studied about them, they were immensely powerful. Just what she needed. She devised a plan to claim at least one of the Rune-Gods for herself. She hated to admit it, but Chang Ang wasn't completely incorrect. She had fallen behind in her studies so she did not know that only true magic knights could control a Rune-God. She ordered her monster to capture the Rune-Gods. The magic knights looked up,and were startled by the creature in the sky. They were even more horrified once they saw what the dragon was doing to their Rune-Gods.

"What is that?" asked Umi.

Lady Aska chuckled at this. While those girls were obviously older than her, they were not stronger than her.

'_Those Rune-Gods will belong to me,'_ she thought,chuckling to herself._'Look at how oblivious those girls are. Snatching those Rune-Gods will be a piece of cake.'_Using one of her spells,she made her dragon attack the Rune-Gods. The magic knights dodged the blasts as best as they could. Hikaru countered with her Ruby Lightning attack. Fuu and Umi countered with their attacks as well. The attacks weakened the dragon somewhat. This angered Lady Aska quite a bit. Those girls were better warriors than she gave them credit for. She had to concede that they were worthy opponents.

"Would you knock it off!You're only delaying your defeat!" She was someone who hated losing,and was a sore loser when she got defeated. She was not going to lose to the magic knights, no matter what. She ordered her monster to attack again. The blast hit Umi,and she cried out in pain.

"Miss Umi!" cried Fuu.

"You okay?" asked Hikaru worriedly.

"Yes. Don't worry about me," answered Umi,gearing up for a counterattack.

"Water Dragon!" The dragon shaped water hit the monster. Fuu and Hikaru attacked,too, which did a great deal of damage to Aska's creature.

Sang Yung became worried when he saw that the princess was losing. "Aska? I think we'd better retreat for now."

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" exploded the fiery tempered princess,"there's no way I'm going to give up so soon!" She wanted a Rune-God and she was going to have it.

Sang Yung hated when Lady Aska acted like this. When she was in this type of mood,it was quite difficult to reason with her. He always feared that she would be angrier than she already was. But he decided that it wouldn't hurt to try anyway.

"Think of it this way, Aska. If we retreat now,it'll give us time to come up with a better strategy," said Sang Yung.

The stubborn princess thought about this for a moment. As much as she hated to admit it,Sang Yung was being truthful.

"I guess you're right," relented Lady Aska. She announced that she would retreat for the moment. The dragon shaped monster disappeared.

"Let's go back inside. I'm sure everyone is worried about us," said Hikaru.

"Yeah,let's go before some other weird creature appears to attack us," agreed Umi.

Hikaru,Umi and Fuu went back inside the castle.

* * *

><p>Mage Clef was glad to see that the magic knights came back unharmed,despite the danger they ran into. "Welcome back,magic knights," he said, smiling.<p>

"Thank you." Hikaru and her friends were so glad to be back. They had thought it was going to be such a long night.

"Hiya,missies!You sure know how to have me worrying about you all," said Caldina a little too enthusiastically.

Zagato thought Caldina was being a bit overdramatic,but decided to ignore it this time.

"We're fine," said Hikaru.

"Oh I am so glad. You sure had poor Princess Emeraude worrying about you as well."

"Huh?" So Princess Emeraude _had _ returned as well, just as Zagato said. Emeraude was right there, next to him. Not in the childlike form, but the adult form she took when the magic knights were to confront her. Hikaru mentally kicked herself for not remembering her manners. "Oh! Hi there, Princess Emeraude!"

"Hello, magic knights."

"Salutations, Miss Emeraude."

"Hello."

"It is no surprise that you girls have returned unscathed," Zagato told the girls.

Hikaru had mixed feelings about hearing that. She was flattered that her one-time enemy had such faith in her and the other magic knights,but at the same time, the words stung deeply. She still had a hard time forgiving herself for what she did to him and Princess Emeraude. The fact that both of them were right there, and had no hard feelings did little to soothe that feeling of regret. It was going to take quite some time to heal.

"Excuse me," said Hikaru,politely. She left the study. Umi and Fuu were shocked by this.

"Miss Hikaru?" said Fuu.

"I wonder what's bothering her," said Umi. She and Fuu decided to leave as well.

Princess Emeraude became very concerned for the girls. Hikaru did seem distraught when she left.

"Magic knights...I hope they're all right," she said.

"Leave them be for now," said Zagato. He knew that they were still struggling to come to grips with what happened, which he wanted them to do the best they knew how. The last thing he wanted was for them to continue suffering the way he made them suffer when he was their bitter enemy.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Lantis stood in the hallway of the residential quarters,looking outside. He recalled how beautiful Cephiro used to be when Princess Emeraude was the pillar. Just like his elder brother Zagato, he had a hatred for the pillar system and now his hatred was even stronger because of the tragedy that occurred.

_Flashback begins_

_Lantis was relaxing in a tree that was located in the center of the garden outside the castle. There were no monsters to battle at the moment, so he was taking advantage of the opportunity he had to just chill. It was so nice for him to be able to just take in the beauty of Cephiro, since he didn't get a chance to do so all that often._

_Lantis was about to drift off to sleep when all of a sudden, his older brother entered the garden. He had a rather amused expression on his face. He wondered what Zagato wanted. Was something wrong? _

"_Lantis," said the high priest. "I should have known to look for you here."_

"_It is my favorite place to take an afternoon nap."_

_Zagato frowned slightly. He didn't think his younger brother should be slacking off when there was work to be done. "Why do you insist on lazing about the place?"_

_Lantis didn't understand why he was being questioned. After all, there was nothing for him to do."There are no monsters for me to battle at the moment, so why shouldn't I?"_

_End flashback_

The main difference between Lantis and his brother with the hatred of the pillar system was that Lantis would not risk the destruction of Cephiro in order for the system to be eliminated. He had told his brother long ago that he believed that a land that was truly beautiful did not need a pillar to maintain that beauty. Just when he was sure he would never get to prove that to his brother, it seemed like he would be able to after all. '_I will destroy the legend of the magic knights if it's the last thing I do.'_

* * *

><p>Hikaru had gone into one of the unoccupied bedrooms. She had assumed that it had been reserved just for her. It was so spacious, quiet and just...beautiful. She found it the perfect place to be during one of those times she just wanted some time alone to think about different things—and she happened to be in that type of mood at the moment.<p>

She sat down on the bed and proceeded to think of what a day it had been. While she was supposed to be happy, she wasn't. Instead, she felt dejected, like she was dying inside. She wondered just how long it would take for her heart to mend.

Just then, Umi and Fuu entered, and each of them sat on one side of her so she was in the middle. It was obvious that they were there to cheer her up. A part of her felt guilty for leaving the study like that but she couldn't help herself. She was glad to see her friends, though she didn't show it.

"Miss Hikaru?" ventured Fuu. "Is anything the matter?"

"Yeah. You seem upset," agreed Umi.

Hikaru hesitated for a second. Generally she would have denied that there was a problem, since she didn't want to be a burden on her friends or be seen as weak. But now that she thought of it, she realized she needed to talk to someone. And her friends happened to be the ones she should be talking to. "It's just...I know that even though everything is all right now and there's no animosity towards me for what happened, I still have a hard time forgiving myself."

"I know how you feel. I have had a hard time forgiving myself,too," said Umi, giving Hikaru an understanding look.

Fuu was more motherly with the comfort she gave.

"I have as well. But it also makes me more determined to do the right thing this time. You should do the same as well. We have to be strong during these hardships. Just take your time trying to move on. No one expects you to feel better quickly," she said.

The empathetic comments and encouraging words made the magic knight of fire feel better. "Thanks, you guys."

"What are friends for?" said Umi.

Hikaru hugged her best friends. She knew she was lucky to have them. 

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Lady Debonair was making evil plans with Alcyone. She had discovered something that the sorceress would probably be pleased about.<p>

"It seems that Priest Zagato has returned from the dead. He has made a fool out of you, has he not?" asked Debonair.

"Yes,my lady," answered Alcyone. Just thinking of the incident made her blood boil. She had betrayed Mage Clef and fought the magic knights just to prove how much she loved Zagato. It seemed like all of that was for naught, for she had found out that he loved Princess Emeraude and could care less about her. And when she told him that she was fighting for him, he practically insulted her. He thought she was speaking nonsense. At first she was dismayed but that feeling quickly turned into disgust when she thought about how used she felt.

"Well,who was the one that saved you?" asked the sinister woman.

"It was you,Lady Debonair," replied Alcyone. And she was certainly grateful for that. In her eyes her new master was far better than her old one could ever hope to be.

"How would you like to get revenge on that scoundrel,Zagato,for the humiliation you suffered?" asked Lady Debonair.

Alcyone's eyes brightened. Suddenly she was glad that her former master was back. "I'd love that very much,my lady."

"You will have your chance soon enough," promised Debonair.

Alcyone gave an evil chuckle. She would show Zagato that she was not the failure he made her out to be...by slaying him. 

* * *

><p>The following day, Lady Debonair discreetly entered the crown room.<p>

"Now that Princess Emeraude is no longer the pillar, Cephiro will belong to me!" said Debonair,laughing.

Mage Clef sensed the evil presence from his study.

_'It's the presence of Lady Debonair..but where she dwells is unknown,'_ he thought.

Lantis sensed it,too.

_'Who is this Debonair?'_ he wondered.

Just then, the castle proceeded to shake. It was like the tremor of an earthquake,only worse. The three magic knights were startled by this.

"Is it some sort of earthquake?" asked Umi,struggling to stay on her feet. The force of the tremors nearly caused her to suffer a whiplash.

"I have a feeling that it is worse than a mere earthquake," said Fuu. She was indeed correct about that.

"I'm sure it is, Fuu, but you shouldn't bring up scary stuff like that!" Umi yelled, half scared, half exasperated. To this day she hated when her fears were so obviously stated.

Hikaru became worried about Mage Clef,Sierra, and everyone else in the castle. She didn't believe that this was the best time for bickering. "Come on,you two!Let's go check on Clef!" she said.

The three girls ran out of the room ,and ran to Clef's study. They knocked loudly on the door.

"Clef!Are you all right in there?" asked Umi.

Mage Clef opened the door,and the three girls walked in.

"Greetings,magic knights. You all look well," said Mage Clef.

Umi asked if everyone was all right.

"Everyone is all right," answered Sierra.

"What was that tremor,exactly?" asked Fuu.

"Another part of Cephiro has just disappeared. Unfortunately it will continue to disappear until a new pillar is born."

Hikaru didn't like the sound of that. "Oh no." She wondered what was the origin of the pillar system. She and her friends heard of the pillar so much during their previous time in Cephiro, but they never fully understood the system. "Clef, can you tell us some more about the pillar system? How did it come about?"

"Very well. You three are magic knights,so you all have a right to know," said Clef. He led Hikaru and her friends to the crown room. Sierra,Zagato,Ferio and Princess Emeraude followed. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>Mage Clef proceeded to tell the magic knights all about the pillar system. He started by telling them what they already knew—the duty of the pillar which was to continuously pray for Cephiro's well-being without interruption. That meant the pillar couldn't love anything but the land itself. Negative emotions were out of the question as well. The girls could barely stand to listen to that part of the story, knowing it was what Princess Emeraude had to endure during her rule as pillar. They didn't want such a thing to happen ever again. Something had to be done by the time the new pillar was born.<p>

Hikaru noticed the golden tiara with the sapphire colored gem on it, hovering over what appeared to be a spring. It looked familiar to her, and she knew why. "Princess Emeraude?This is your crown,isn't it?" she asked.

The former pillar nodded. "I wore that crown when I was the pillar."

"I thought so."

"There is one thing you should know about that crown," said Mage Clef. "It changes shape whenever there is someone worthy of becoming the new pillar."

Fuu noticed that the crown hadn't changed in appearance at all since the princess last wore it. "I take it that no one is worthy to be crowned as the new pillar yet."

"Very observant, Fuu."

Curious,Hikaru reached out to touch the crown.

"No,Hikaru,you mustn't," warned Princess Emeraude.

And the ancient mage added, "Any unworthy person who lays a hand on the crown shall surely perish."

"I see," said Hikaru, quickly taking her hand away. That was not a risk she was willing to take. If she died, she wouldn't be able to save Cephiro from the new evil.

To show Hikaru how powerful the crown truly was, Mage Clef threw a piece of metal at it. Sure

enough, the pool of water that surrounded the crown destroyed the metal with ease. The magic knights were astonished by such a sight.

"Wow," said Umi.

"That's only a sample of the crown's power," said Clef. "The chosen pillar entrusted with it will invoke all of its power. There is one last thing you should know concerning that. This door is surrounded by a barrier that protects this room from those unworthy. The door can only be opened by the magic ring."

"So only you can open it?" asked Umi.

Clef shook his head, and said that there were three items necessary:the magic ring, Zagato's armor , and Lantis' sword.

There was a question that nagged at Hikaru regarding the birth of a new pillar. "So Clef..exactly who is worthy of becoming the new pillar?"

"Anyone with the strongest heart and will is eligible to become the pillar. The person does not have to be a resident of Cephiro."

This was news to Hikaru. "So that means someone from one of the invading countries can have the qualifications to become the pillar as well?"

"Precisely."

Hikaru thought about this. She wondered if it were possible if the person worthy of becoming the pillar was not in the castle at all, and that's why the crown hadn't changed its current shape yet. She made the decision to go outside and search for people who were possibly worthy of becoming the next pillar. She thought it would be a big help, especially since she would also have the opportunity to rescue those who were in danger. Hikaru told the others of her decision,once they were back in Clef's study.

"I will go alone. I do not want to put anyone else in harms way," she said.

Umi thought that was very reckless of her. She objected to it. "You're not going alone! There are too many monsters out there roaming. I'm going with you."

"I'm against it as well. It is much too dangerous to go outside alone," said Sierra.

Zagato agreed; he didn't want Hikaru to let the accomplishment of becoming a true magic knight go to her head."You cannot possibly accomplish an extremely dangerous task on your own terms," he said.

"I must agree with him," said Fuu.

Princess Emeraude and Clef agreed as well.

Hikaru couldn't believe how difficult everybody was making this. They really seemed firm..possibly more firm than she was about this. "I know you guys mean well, but it's just not a good idea to have more than one magic knight outside the castle. What if Autozam attacks again?"

"That's why the three of us should stick together," said Fuu.

Hikaru thought about what everyone was saying. She had to admit that they had a good point,and that their concerns were valid. And she did appreciate them. She recalled when Lantis rescued the woman who had not been evacuated along with the others. And this would give her a chance to get to know him even better. Suddenly, she got an idea.

"I'll ask Lantis if he wants to come with me," she said, hoping that everyone would be satisfied.

"Hmmmm," said Mage Clef. He thought about this for a moment. He found it odd that Hikaru would ask Lantis of all people to go with her, but at the same time, he thought it was safer than Hikaru going out alone. He approved the decision.

"Great." Chances were that Lantis was much stronger than she was so it would only make sense to have him accompany her. She turned to Zagato. "You can come with me if you'd like."

The reformed high priest was a bit surprised that his former enemy would ask him to come along for protection, but at the same time he was flattered. Besides, now that he thought of it, he would have decided to go along anyway, just in case his younger brother needed some help. "That I will."

"Great." Hikaru went looking for Lantis. Zagato was right behind her. He briefly turned back and reassured Princess Emeraude that he would return as soon as possible.

"All right,then. Be careful, my love," she said.

"Not to worry,I will," said Zagato,gently touching Emeraude's cheek. With that, he left the study.

"Zagato," whispered the princess.

* * *

><p>Lady Debonair had an evil grin on her face as she saw Zagato, Lantis and one of the magic knights exiting the castle. She thought this was the perfect time to put her plan into motion and the perfect opportunity for Alcyone to eliminate the high priest. She summoned the middle aged sorceress, who appeared before her at once.<p>

"Yes,my lady?" Alcyone bowed respectfully. She hoped she was getting another chance to defeat those novice magic knights or better yet, a chance to destroy Zagato.

"How would you like to have some fun with that worthless high priest?" asked Debonair,grinning evilly.

Alcyone was hoping Debonair would ask that. She was beginning to lose patience."Oh I'd love that very much!"

"Torture him as you wish,then," said Lady Debonair.

That was something Alcyone's new master didn't have to tell her to do. She was going to torture him big time. She was going to make him sorry he disrespected her."I thank you, my lady." With that, the ice sorceress left the castle.

Nova,the Hikaru look alike was a bit jealous that Alcyone was being sent on a mission. She despised everything that was important to Hikaru and was anxious to destroy them all.

"Mother Debonair, when will I get to play with Hikaru?" she asked, trying her best not to sound impatient.

The evil woman smiled one of her deadly smiles. It appeared that she taught Nova well. "You will, soon enough."

Nova certainly hoped so; she didn't know how much longer she could wait.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

* * *

><p>Primera was not happy that Lantis agreed to come outside the castle with Hikaru. In fact, she was furious. It was bad enough that Hikaru had such a request, but the fact that Lantis was so gracious towards her was unforgiving. She thought Lantis was far too kind, and she was also jealous, for she wanted Lantis' loyalty all to herself. She was also afraid that Lantis would fall for Hikaru, and there was no way she was going to allow that. She made up her mind to do everything in her power to keep Hikaru from getting too close to Zagato's younger brother. Of course,Hikaru only brushed the blue-haired fairy's antics off. She didn't know what Primera's problem was, but she wasn't going to let the fairy spoil things for her.<p>

Hikaru had a hard time keeping up with Lantis. Mokona, on the other hand,was a different story, for his speed when it came to hopping was relatively quick. Primera flew off of Lantis' shoulder.

"Hey,pick up the pace,would ya? You're slowing us down!" she said, getting impatient.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Hikaru,picking up the pace a bit.

"Of course, I can't say I blame you. Although I'm much smaller than you, I can fly," bragged Primera.

Hikaru was becoming annoyed with Primera. Not only was she possessive, but she was also a show off. However, she didn't say anything. She decided to just ignore the little pixie and not give her the satisfaction of seeing her annoyance. If she could lose her, that would be good.

Zagato was also annoyed by Primera's whining. He found her just as annoying as Alcyone. Only, he was not willing to be as nice as Hikaru. He felt the urge to zap the fairy into nothingness so that she would be silenced forever. His younger brother being present was the only reason he didn't. He decided to stay behind and keep watch for anything suspicious.

Primera was so busy thinking about how much she didn't like Hikaru that she was the one who had fallen behind. Once she realized that, she was surprised. "Hey,you guys!Wait up!" She flew after them.

* * *

><p>Hikaru glanced at Lantis. Even though she had increased her walking pace and was trying to keep up with him so that she wouldn't slow him down again, it turned out that she didn't need to try so hard. He had slowed down a little.<p>

_'Is he really walking slowly to match my pace?_' she wondered. She thought it was awfully nice of him. Suddenly,Lantis stopped. At that moment, it began to rain. This brought back memories for Hikaru, when she first saw it rain in Cephiro. It was when she and her friends were on their way to the shrine of Windam. And now that Cephiro was disappearing, rainy weather was bound to happen ever so often. Lantis used his cape like an umbrella over her, so that she wouldn't get wet. This surprised her a great deal.

"Uh...it's okay...really. I'm a tough girl. I don't catch colds easily,"she stammered. But the expression on Lantis' face said that he really wanted to.

"Thank you,Lantis," said Hikaru. She asked him a few questions about his travels. He told her all about them. It turned out that he had been in Autozam during the time she and her friends were in Cephiro for the first time.

Hikaru was glad Lantis came outside with her, and that he was slowly opening up to her. Even though he was fairly reclusive, she thought she saw some loneliness in his eyes, and it bothered her."Tell me..do you ever feel lonely?" she asked him.

"Huh?" asked Lantis. He was surprised at such a question. Before he could come up with an answer to the question, he and Hikaru were rudely interrupted by Primera.

"What did you talk about in my absence? Lantis is mine!You got that?So don't be trying to put the moves on him!" she said.

"Put the moves?" asked Hikaru,confused. She did not understand why Primera was so possessive of Lantis. She thought he was kindhearted, and she was fond of him, but it wasn't romance. She didn't think he would have time for a young girl like her. Not to mention that considering what she had done to his brother, she didn't expect the relationship to go any further than friendship, even though he assured her that he was not angry with her.

"Don't pay attention to her," said a deep voice.

Hikaru looked up to see who it was. It was Lantis' older brother, Zagato. For a moment she had forgotten that she had asked him to come along with her as well.

"Zagato, it's you!" She was glad to see him. She needed the distraction.

"Have you seen anything suspicious?" asked Lantis.

"No I haven't, yet," answered Zagato."Were you able to find anyone with the potential to become the next pillar?"

"Not yet."

"What's with this rude interruption?" yelled Primera. She could care less if it was Lantis' older brother. He didn't faze her in the least, even if he had the ability to blast her to oblivion in an instant.

Mokona had enough of Primera's whining, and inhaled her. Hikaru was appalled at this. Zagato actually found it rather amusing...he never thought Mokona was capable of such a thing.

"Mokona!" Hikaru scolded.

Mokona spat Primera back out. Primera was trembling.

"Y-You tried to eat me!What did I do to deserve such torment?" protested the fairy.

Hikaru looked behind her,and saw that Lantis had taken off. She wondered where he had gone off to. Well, no time to worry about that now.

"Greetings,lady magic knight," said a familiar male's voice.

Hikaru instantaneously recognized the voice. "It's Eagle."

Eagle saw that Zagato was with Hikaru. Very surprising for him, and could make his task rather difficult. However, he had no business with the high priest. "Greetings to you,too,Lord Zagato. It seems that you have returned from the dead."

"Very observant," replied Zagato. He didn't know who this Eagle was and quite frankly he didn't care. If he caused trouble, things were not going to be pretty.

Hikaru decided to try reasoning with Eagle once again."Can't I do anything to change your mind about the pillar system?" she asked.

Eagle took a look at the magic knight of fire. She looked so innocent, he almost felt badly about invading Cephiro. But he stood his ground."I'm very sorry, but Autozam would benefit a great deal."

Zagato felt this was a very foolish choice. He hoped that his younger brother would destroy the system before Eagle got his hands on it.

"I told you that there is nothing almighty about the pillar system," said a deep voice.

Eagle looked up sharply.

"So you're here,too,Lantis," he said. He was rather surprised that Zagato and Lantis were with Hikaru,and not the other magic knights.

Hikaru realized how unwavering Eagle was and that it would be pointless to keep on trying to convince him otherwise. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. But seeing that you won't change your mind,I have no choice but to fight you," she said.

"So be it,then. I warn you,you will regret opposing me," said Eagle.

Zagato sensed an evil force, and decided to go see what it was. He told Lantis to protect Hikaru, and left. Alcyone was standing on top of a cliff. When she saw Zagato,she gave an evil grin. _'That's right, Zagato. Walk right into my trap. Soon, you will feel the very same pain and humiliation I have felt under your rule.' _


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

* * *

><p>High Priest Zagato looked around for the evil presence he had sensed. He was becoming impatient in waiting for the person to show up.<p>

_'Show yourself,you coward,'_ he thought. He had work to do. He didn't have time to be playing hide and seek. The sooner this score was settled, the better. Unless, of course, the person came to his or her senses and realized that there was no chance of winning against him.

Suddenly,a barrage of large icicle shards rained down. Zagato got out of the way just in time.

"Greetings, Lord Zagato," said a female's voice.

Zagato knew who it was. It sounded like that of his former minion. But there was something odd about it,though. It sounded rather sinister and cold. He looked up sharply. Sure enough, it was Alcyone.

"Well,if it isn't Alcyone. I am surprised to see you alive," said Zagato. He was sure that whoever she was working for would have executed her for failing to defeat the magic knights, just as she failed miserably when she worked for him.

A voice inside Alcyone's head was telling her, _don't do it! You love Zagato far too much to let any harm come to him. Do not try to assassinate him or you will live to regret it!' _She snapped out of her evil spell for a brief moment.

"Lord Zagato...my dear sweet beloved Lord Zagato," she mumbled. "I am so glad to see you again." But Debonair's control regained its influence on her. She gave a sinister laugh.

"What do you want?" Zagato wanted to know.

"You've spurned me when I did nothing but show loyalty to you. You used me like an object. I will never forgive you for that!" screamed the ebony-haired sorceress.

The high priest was rather amused. As far as he was concerned, her threats were empty. "It hurts, doesn't it?Well,what are you going to do?" He just couldn't wait to hear her response.

"I will destroy you!" replied Alcyone.

It was official. Alcyone had completely lost it. Zagato didn't think she was to be taken seriously—ever. "Don't make me laugh. You can't possibly win against me," he scoffed. No one was able to win against him except for the magic knights.

Alcyone sneered at the high priest. If he only knew...her powers were stronger than ever thanks to her new master. She would make sure he changed his tune.

"We'll see about that!" she said. She shot another barrage of icicle shards at Zagato. Zagato blocked them with his Barrier Circle attack,and the shards had no effect on him.

"Drat!" spat Alcyone. She was determined not to be defeated by her former master.

"This farce is ludicrous,and your efforts are futile. If you give up, I will spare your life," said Zagato.

"Never!" said Alcyone. "You will not be so lucky this time." She shot a blast from her staff at him.

"Lightningbolt Assault!" A blast of lightning collided with Alcyone's attack and sent it careening back at her. She was hit by her own attack. She screamed in pain as she was electrocuted with both her and Zagato's attack.

"Curse you,Zagato!" spat the badly wounded Alcyone. She vowed that she would be back,and disappeared.

_'That was a waste of time,'_thought Zagato. Then again, the sorceress was a fool to challenge him in the first place. He went to see how his brother and Hikaru were doing against Eagle Vision.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Umi was pacing around Mage Clef's study. She was very worried about Hikaru. Mage Clef told Umi that she should calm down.<p>

"What are you talking about? I am calm," insisted the blue haired magic knight.

"How can you say you're calm when you're pacing around the room?" asked Mage Clef.

"I'm not pacing around. I'm standing right here," said Umi.

Clef cleared his throat. He told her to look where she was standing. Umi looked,and was shocked when she saw where she was standing. Could Clef and her friends had been right, that she was a wreck without knowing it? She hoped she wasn't sleep walking or anything.

"How did I get way over here?" she wondered. Clef gave her an "I told you so" look.

"Won't you sit down and calm yourself? I'm worried about Miss Hikaru,too, but I'm sure she's all right," said Fuu.

"Yes. You should have faith that Lantis and Zagato have the powers to protect her, should she need protection," said Princess Emeraude. Something she had to tell herself as well. She was just as scared for Zagato, as Umi was worried for her friend Hikaru. If something happened to him, she couldn't bear it.

"Yes. You're right." Umi sat down.

"So, tell me,Clef,what is this Lantis person like?" she asked. She wanted to know if Lantis could be trusted. She wasn't quite sure if she could completely trust Zagato either, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"The knowledge I have of Lantis is from long ago," said Mage Clef. He told Umi and Fuu that Lantis was trained to become magical swordsman, just as Zagato was."He was assigned to become captain of the guard aside Princess Emeraude, and he was the first swordmaster. However, before anyone could prevent it, Lantis had disappeared from Cephiro, and was not heard from again. "

"I see," said Fuu.

'_I wonder why he decided to return to Cephiro,' _thought Mage Clef.

* * *

><p>The battle between Hikaru and Eagle was still going on. Hikaru and her Rune-God had taken a few blows from Eagle's FTO. Eagle was tough, but she was determined not to give up. She counterattacked with Flame Arrow.<p>

Eagle had taken a liking to the magic knight, he was almost sorry to see her in distress. But he had a goal to accomplish. "Why don't you give up? I have no desire to hurt a girl who's already injured."

"Never!" cried Hikaru.

"It's your funeral," said Eagle,attacking again. It was a funny situation. He thought it was appalling that his opponent seemed to be a glutton for punishment, yet he admired her tenacity because it was a trait he had when he wanted something.

This time, the attack had no affect on Hikaru. That was because Lantis blocked Eagle's attack with his Lightningball Come Forth attack.

Lady Debonair and Nova watched all of this from their castle. Alcyone was still reeling from Zagato's attack. She was seething with anger. _'To hell with you Zagato...you have humiliated me for the last time! You will pay for this!'_

"The people of Cephiro are fools to not acknowledge our existence," said Debonair.

"Only Hikaru knows about us... in her dreams," said Nova. She vowed to kill Hikaru's friends in the most painful way she could.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

* * *

><p>Hikaru was feeling extremely depressed. In her latest battle with Nova, the Rune-God called Regalia broke her sword. Not to mention that Nova kept saying that she and her friends would die together. And Hikaru certainly didn't know what Nova meant when she kept saying that she was her. She was not anything like Nova.<p>

Hikaru gave a sad sigh as she contemplated these turn of events. Being kidnapped by Autozam's Eagle Vision was nothing compared to this. Eagle and his comrade Zazu were incredibly kind to her-kind for enemies,that is. But without her weapon, she couldn't call on Rayearth,and she couldn't help her friends fight anymore. Unless her sword could be revived,that is. She decided that she would ask Sierra to revive the sword for her. She made her way to Mage Clef's study. Sure enough, Sierra was there,along with Princess Emeraude, Ascot, Caldina, the other 2 magic knights,and of course, Master Mage Clef.

"Why do you look so melancholy,missy?" asked Caldina, noticing Hikaru's facial expression.

"Is something wrong?" asked Sierra.

"Yes!" responded Hikaru. "It was a total nightmare." She told the whole ugly story about what happened during the battle with Nova.

"My,my," said Caldina, when Hikaru was done. "That Nova sounds like bad news."

"She is." Hikaru was nearly at the end of her rope where Nova was concerned.

Sierra couldn't believe it. The weapons were made of the strongest material in Cephiro. How could it be that the sword was broken so easily? It didn't make any sense. This Nova and her Rune-God must have unimaginable powers.

Hikaru was so angry with herself for what happened. She had been entrusted with a weapon and now she didn't have it anymore. She felt so weak and helpless. "Presea...if you're angry about this, I take full responsibility. I'm so weak."

Sierra shook her head. "That is not true at all, Hikaru. You are not to blame," she reassured the magic knight.

"I'm so sorry. You gave up your life to make the weapon and this is what happened," said Hikaru.

"You need not apologize, Hikaru."

"Yes, don't lose heart," said Princess Emeraude.

Hikaru felt a little better already. But she wouldn't feel much better until the problem was fixed.

"Come on now, stop with the melodrama,would ya?This sounds like a soap opera," said Caldina. Hikaru's sadness was beginning to make her feel depressed, and she wasn't the one with the problem. She was looking for a way to lighten the mood. Suddenly she had it. "I have an idea!"

"What is it,Caldina?" asked Umi.

"Why don't we take baths in the hot spring?"

"Um...okay," said Hikaru. That was swell with her. She thought it would be nice to see what Cephiro's hot spring was like.

Ascot gave Caldina a funny look. He was embarrassed that she would make such a suggestion in his presence. Caldina misinterpreted his expression.

"Okay, okay, you can come, too," said Caldina.

Ascot's face turned bright red.

"Caldina, you can be so clueless!" He could not believe Caldina would think he wanted to take a bath in the hot springs with a bunch of ladies. What, did she think he was a pervert or something?

The illusionist ignored Ascot's annoyance and led the magic knights,Sierra and Princess Emeraude to a hot springs in the castle. All the girls undressed.

"Hey Hikaru,why don't you unbraid your hair?" suggested Caldina.

"Huh?" That was something she almost never did. She thought she looked terrible with her hair loose and she simply wasn't the girly type.

"Here, I'll do it for you." Before Hikaru could answer, Caldina got to work unbraiding her long pinkish red tresses. It took a little while, but soon, Caldina was done.

"There. That's more like it," said Caldina.

Caldina and the other girls got into the water.

"Ah, this feels so good," said Hikaru. She thought this was a great distraction to take her mind off of her current problems.

Umi told Hikaru how pretty her hair looked.

"You really think so?" asked Hikaru.

"Yes. But no one knows because you keep it braided all the time," said Fuu.

"Well,thanks." Quite frankly Hikaru didn't think so, but it could be that she was just her own worst critic, since her friends would never lie to her.

Caldina noticed the scar on Sierra's chest. "That's an interesting birthmark, Presea."

"Oh?" Of course, Presea didn't have a birthmark, but Sierra couldn't say that or else she would risk revealing her true identity, which she didn't plan to do anytime soon.

* * *

><p>High Priest Zagato entered Clef's study. "Have you seen Emeraude?" he asked.<p>

Mage Clef thought of a way to tell the truth without embarrassing Zagato. Not that the story would faze him but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I believe she went with the others to lift up Hikaru's spirits."

"I see." Sounded to him like Hikaru was in distress again, and he didn't like that.

Mage Clef nodded, and told Zagato what had happened.

The high priest frowned; he had never heard of such a thing happening before. "She can pull through."

"I hope she does. I do not want her and the 2 other magic knights to be in tears."

* * *

><p>Soon, Caldina and the others were done with their bath. They put their clothes back on. Sierra pulled Hikaru aside.<p>

"Would you like to revive your sword at any cost?" she asked Hikaru.

Hikaru was relieved that there was a way to fix this problem. All she needed to do was go through the process. "Yes I do."

"Even if it means sacrificing your life in the process?" asked Sierra.

"Yes," said Hikaru,firmly. She was willing to do anything to revive her sword. She had to; there was a huge battle to fight.

"All right,then," said Sierra. She first went into Clef's study, and notified him about this. She also told him that she was pretending to be Presea because she wanted to spare the magic knights some heartache.

"Is that so? Well, before you go to revive Hikaru's sword,tell me who you really are," said Mage Clef.

Sierra realized that she had practically admitted her lie. She couldn't let him know that she had been deceiving everyone all this time. Not then, anyway. But she wondered how long she could keep it up before someone saw through her facade. "My name is Presea," she said.

"Very well. I hope you and Hikaru come back safely," said Mage Clef. Sierra assured him that they would, and went with Hikaru to the creation room.

"I am warning you that this will be quite dangerous, Hikaru. You will have to battle against your heart," warned Sierra.

"I'm still up for it. I want to fight alongside my friends. They are counting on me," said Hikaru.

Sierra had great admiration for the magic knights,particularly Hikaru. She was not afraid to do what she needed to do,even if it meant endangering her life.

"Okay,then. Are you ready?" asked Sierra.

Hikaru nodded. Sierra cast the necessary spell that would revive the sword. Hikaru's eyes went blank, as if she were in a trance. It was time for the test of how strong her willpower truly was.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

* * *

><p>Hikaru's battle against her heart had begun, and it was quite trying so far. Experiencing the emotions was one thing, but dealing with them head on was a totally different story. Listening to Nova's rubbish about forgetting her friends altogether certainly didn't make things any easier for her. She felt discouraged, but she wasn't going to give up. No way. She knew that was exactly what Nova wanted her to do.<p>

Nova was becoming annoyed with Hikaru's resistance. And her devotion to her friends boggled her mind as well.

"Hikaru, why do you choose those friends of yours over me? Do you honestly believe that they care about you as much as you seem to care about them?"

Hikaru was shocked that her "alter ego" would ask such a question. She was literally questioning the loyalty of her friends when she saw how they acted towards her. She got what Nova was trying to do and it was not going to work. "I do. They've placed their trust in me."

"Not based on what they've told me."

At this point Hikaru was losing patience. "What are you talking about?"

"If you don't believe me, I will let you see for yourself. Then you will see that it is I who cares for you, and why I hate them so much."

Hikaru nervously waited to see what Nova was going to do. It was obvious that the girl was toying with her, and she couldn't give into her negative emotions. She had to pull through.

Nova created an illusion of the time when Hikaru met her friends at Tokyo Tower.

_**Illusion Begins**_

"_Please don't start crying, Hikaru, because everything that happened was your fault!" declared Umi._

_Hikaru felt like she was stabbed in the heart when she heard that. How could the tragedy be her fault when her friends had a hand in it as well? Fuu's comment shocked her even more._

"_I think it is silly to try to save a world that doesn't even belong to us."_

_**Illusion Ends**_

Now Hikaru _knew _ Nova was messing with her head. That was _not_ how the conversation at Tokyo Tower went. She was so shaken, and angry that Nova played such a cruel trick. She was almost scared to see what else she had in store for her. She didn't think she could handle another illusion like that.

"What do you think, Hikaru?" asked Nova. "Do you still believe in those two traitor friends of yours?"

"In fact, I do! What they said to me at Tokyo Tower that day doesn't even come close to what you've showed me just now. It's just a mind trick!"

Nova was displeased that her influence didn't work, but she shrugged it off. _'Hmm..the girl's mind is stronger than I thought. Let's see how she would handle this!' _ This time, she created illusions of Zagato,Lantis,and Princess Emeraude. They told Hikaru that she was not forgiven for what she had done.

This was too much for the magic knight to bear. And until now, she was not sure why it hurt so much when Nova used Lantis as an illusion. She realized that she was in love with him. These illusions were beginning to overtake her. She was beginning to think maybe Nova was right and that she would be better off without her friends. She started to walk towards Nova. She heard a voice shouting at her to not go that way. She hesitated for a bit, trying to figure out who to believe.

* * *

><p>Sierra, realizing what was happening to Hikaru, decided to enter her heart to remind her why she wanted to revive her sword in the first place.<p>

Meanwhile, Nova was still trying to rattle Hikaru with her head games. "I hate everyone you love, Hikaru," she told her. "Do you understand why?"

Hikaru just ignored the question. She didn't understand who this person was, who tried to turn her against everyone in her life. "Nova, who are you?"

"I'm you,Hikaru."

Hikaru didn't know what Nova meant by that. For one thing, she was nothing like Nova. And she definitely didn't know what Nova was talking about when she said that she hated herself. She would have to figure that out once her sword was revived.

"Hikaru!"

There was that voice calling to her again. This time, she could make out who it was. It was Sierra, who had offered to revive her sword. At that moment, she saw a bright light. It was Sierra, in a cylinder shaped crystal.

"Hikaru, remember what you're fighting for," said Sierra.

Hikaru's courage and confidence returned, and she recalled the promise she made to her friends and the people of Cephiro. She remembered her vow to fight without regrets from now on. Once she remembered her promises, a red coloured aura surrounded her. She walked towards the light.

"No!" cried Nova. She couldn't believe that Hikaru had resisted her again. Well, not for much longer.

The process of reviving Hikaru's sword was complete.

* * *

><p>Hikaru opened her eyes. She was severely weakened by this battle and at this point, barely conscious. However it was well worth it because her weapon was revived.<p>

"You have made it through this task,and you have survived it," said Sierra, smiling.

Hikaru noticed that Lantis was holding her up. What a nice feeling it was.

"Lantis," she whispered.

"Hikaru," said Lantis softly.

Hikaru couldn't hold back her feelings any longer."Lantis...I'm sorry. I- I love you." She passed out.

Lantis was shocked at this confession. So were Zagato and Princess Emeraude. They did not even suspect that Hikaru had feelings for Lantis, although she had a high opinion of him . Lantis was not sure whether he would return Hikaru's feelings or not just yet. But he found her to be quite endearing, so for now, the least he could do was continue to give her his protection when she needed it.

"Younger brother, what will you do about this magic knight's confession?" asked Zagato.

"At this point,I do not know," replied Lantis. He picked Hikaru up and carried her to her room.

"Lantis," said Zagato softly.

Sierra decided to go to her room and get some rest as well. This task had wiped her out as well.

"Hikaru has such a kindly heart,doesn't she?" Princess Emeraude asked Zagato.

"That she does."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

* * *

><p>A little bit later, Hikaru woke up and sat up. The last place she remembered being was the creation room after fighting one of the toughest battles of her life. She had told Lantis...<p>

_'Was Lantis the one who brought me in here?' _she wondered. After her shocking confession, she wasn't expecting him to. She felt that it would be foolish of her to expect Lantis to love her back, especially after what she did. Perhaps it would have been better if she had just held her tongue. But still, she couldn't help herself, or her feelings. She just hoped that either he or Zagato wouldn't hate her..especially Zagato. She had managed to find a friend in him, and she didn't want their friendship to be destroyed. She wondered if he even thought she was worthy of Lantis. She decided to just ask him how he felt about this when the time was right.

Just then, she had a vision where she was transported into her Rune-God Rayearth's lair. Rayearth appeared before her.

"Legendary magic knight...thou hast overcome thine obstacle and revived the sword," said Rayearth.

Hikaru was so glad to be back in business. She had been worried that she would not be able to help her friends after all. "Sorry if I kept you waiting for a long time."

"Whenever thou need my help, call my name," said Rayearth.

Everything faded away. Hikaru decided to go and check on Sierra. She made her way to Sierra's room.

* * *

><p>Sierra was lying in bed,resting. Hikaru came in, and sat on a stool in front of her bed. She watched Sierra rest with a sad expression on her face. She felt so guilty for putting her through that entire ordeal, knowing what could have happened. Yet Sierra seemed more than willing.<p>

Sierra's heart ached to see Hikaru looking teary-eyed. That was something she never wanted to see again. "Please don't look at me with those eyes. If you keep looking at me like that, you'll make me want to start crying, too."

"Presea...I'm so glad you got through this alive," said Hikaru tearfully. Every day, she replayed Presea's death in her mind over and over again.

"Oh Hikaru," said Sierra.

"Tell me, did Lantis take me back to my room?" Hikaru asked tentatively. She would be surprised if he had. She was so sure that she had scared him.

"That he did. He was very concerned for you."

"He was?" Hikaru's eyes widened in shock. She was somewhat relieved, because it meant that maybe he didn't hate her after all.

"Yes. The battle had taken quite a toll on your strength."

"I can imagine." That was no surprise for her, considering what a piece of work Nova was. So much so that it would take every ounce of strength she had to outwit her. "Well, I couldn't have gotten through this fight without you."

Sierra hugged her. "Well, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I will always be there for you," she said.

"Thanks,Presea," said Hikaru,leaving the room. She decided to find Lantis so she could thank _him _for his concern.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Lantis was in the garden at residential quarters. He admired the flowers that still bloomed. It appeared that his theory was correct that a pillar was not necessary for flowers to bloom. He was so deep in thought that at first, he didn't see Hikaru come in a few minutes later. Hikaru debated whether she should say something or not. She felt so awkward.<p>

Lantis could feel someone watching him, and looked up to see Hikaru standing there. A little soon for her to be up and about.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" It was just like him to be concerned about those he was loyal to. Hikaru was very happy about this type of concern...it meant that Lantis' opinion of her had not changed at all. _'Just behave normally and everything will be fine,' _said a voice inside her head.

"It's all right. I feel fine," Hikaru sheepishly assured him.

"Would you like to have a seat?" asked Lantis.

"Sure," said Hikaru. She sat on the bench. Suddenly, she felt there was too much distance between her and Lantis. Feeling as bold as she was earlier, she cautiously scooted a bit closer to him. Two very beautiful birds perched on his shoulder. Hikaru commented on how beautiful they were.

"You like birds, Hikaru?" asked Lantis.

"Yes..a lot."

Lantis allowed one of the birds to perch on Hikaru's shoulder. She laughed a bit. She realized how much she enjoyed spending time with Lantis. And she had to admit, it was refreshing to not be interrupted by Primera's jealousy rages for a change. She was going to enjoy the feeling while it lasted, for she knew that Primera could pop up anytime.

There was a question that Lantis had ever since he met Hikaru. And now that they were alone together, he thought it was the appropriate time to ask it."Tell me, magic knight, what is it that you're fighting for?"

Hikaru wasn't expecting him to ask her that. Did this mean he had a lot of trust in her, like she hoped he would? "I am fighting for myself, and all of the people of Cephiro."

"I see," said Lantis. He took off the amulet he was wearing,and gave it to Hikaru.

"This is something my mother once entrusted to me," he explained.

"I can't accept something so important to you," said Hikaru. But the look on Lantis' face said that he really wanted her to have the pendant. He clasped her hands around it.

"I am sure that there will be a time when you need its protection," he told her.

Hikaru thought he was probably right. "Thank you, Lantis. I will always wear it." She placed it around her neck.

* * *

><p>Mage Clef had just regained consciousness. He had passed out after helping Ascot, Ferio, and two of the magic knights escape enemy territory. He sensed the Autozam battleship outside. He let the magic knights know about this. The girls came to see what was going on.<p>

"Fight now for what thou believe in," Rayearth reminded Hikaru.

Zagato sensed the presence of the Autozam fleet as well.

_'They are so persistent.' _He considered Eagle to be such a fool for fighting a battle he couldn't win.

Hikaru,Fuu and Umi called upon their Rune-Gods and prepared for battle. Eagle was planning an all out attack on the castle this time.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

* * *

><p>The battle between Eagle and the magic knights began, and it was evenly matched at first. Eagle was impressed by how well the girls were doing so far.<p>

"Well well well, you girls appeared to have grown stronger," he said.

Hikaru still wasn't at her complete best but she would have faith in her Rune-God.

"That's right. Thank you for noticing," Umi retorted. "I hope you know what that means. You and your cronies may have defeated us before, but this time we intend to win!"

Eagle gave her an amused look, though she couldn't see it. "I commend your determination, magic knight. However, you are still no match for me."

"We'll see about that, Eagle! Sapphire Whirlwind!" The cyclone traveled towards the large battleship.

"Shield on!" The barrier dissipated the cyclone, much to the dismay of Umi.

"Oh no! He blocked the attack! What do we do?"

Eagle chuckled. "There is nothing you can do except surrender. Otherwise, things will get very ugly." He had no desire to harm the girls.

Umi never liked hearing the "give up" advice. "If you think we're going to give up because you managed to block one attack, you've got another thing coming! We're just getting started!"

"Is that so? Well if that's the case, then let's see you give it your best shot." Eagle couldn't wait to see what the girls would do. After all, they sure were speaking pretty words. He hoped that they were not just all talk.

The question was how could they defeat him? It was no use individually attacking, because he would only block the attack with his barrier. Suddenly, Fuu got an idea.

"Miss Hikaru, Miss Umi, if we combine our powers, we may be able to defeat Mr. Eagle."

"Okay!"

"Let's do it!" The girls held hands and combined all of their powers. "Spiral Flash!"

The colorful energy sphere hurtled towards the massive battleship. Eagle smirked and created his barrier, but all the maneuver did was cut the impact of the attack in half. Hikaru and her friends watched as the explosions ensued. "Did we get him?" Umi wondered.

The smoke cleared, and revealed that the FTO was damaged. Also the girls could hear Eagle coughing inside.

"Let's go before he strikes back," said Fuu.

"Yeah." Hikaru was proud of her self. It looked like she had enough strength for the battle after all. She and her friends went back inside.

For awhile, Eagle was in a state of shock. It looked like he had underestimated the magic knights' abilities after all. He saw that they were nowhere in sight. This didn't faze him in the least.

_'No matter,' _ he thought. _'There are other ways to get what I want.' _ And he knew just how he would do it.

"Come on, Geo. Let's get a move on. We're going to infiltrate this castle."

"You got it, Eagle." Geo just hope the FTO was in good enough shape to do so.

* * *

><p>Eagle and his fleet were not the only ones after the pillar system. While they were battling the magic knights, Lady Debonair had made plans to seize control of the crown room, with her group of monsters. She made herself invisible and entered the crown room with an evil grin on her face.<p>

_'Those foolish humans still do not acknowledge our existence! This was a simpler task than I thought! Cephiro will belong to me!' _ The evil woman stretched out her hand and reached for the crown. Its power blinded and overpowered her, keeping her from getting close to it and banishing her and the monsters from the castle. She gave an ear piercing scream as the crown's power overtook her.

"No! That's not true...Cephiro is..."

Princess Emeraude's voice? It couldn't be. But it was her voice, her final thoughts when she was being assassinated by the magic knights. A part of her still loved Cephiro even though she was filled with hatred and murderous vengeance.

Debonair was enraged that she had been stopped. "Blast you, Princess Emeraude!" she spat. "You protect Cephiro even though you're no longer the pillar! Not to worry! I will be back!"

* * *

><p>While Hikaru was asleep that night. she had another dream. This time it was not about Nova. It appeared to be about Cephiro in the past, how it was long before she and her friends were summoned by Emeraude.<p>

_**Flashback begins**_

_Lantis had just finished battling some monsters and was now relaxing in his favorite tree. Zagato came to see him. He wondered if it was to chastise him for slacking off again. He did that a lot. _

_Surprisingly it wasn't. "Younger brother...you have just completed your work for today, I presume?"_

"_That I have."_

"_Tell me...what do you think of the pillar?" _

"_What do you mean?" Lantis hadn't known Emeraude very well, but from what little time he spent with her, she seemed gracious and like she had the heart of a princess. _

"_The fact that everything is placed upon the shoulders of the pillar. What do you think of this type of system?" _

_The truth was that Lantis had his doubts about it and didn't believe there should be such bondage. Was it possible that his elder brother felt the same? "It is a shame that the pillar cannot wish for her own happiness."_

_To his surprise, Zagato agreed. "My heart cannot stop loving the princess, it and will continue to love her, even if it causes my own destruction or I'm branded as evil." _

_So that was it. Zagato asked about his views on the pillar system because he felt more strongly about it as a result of his love for the princess. He had no idea. He noted how beautiful Cephiro was, thanks to the pillar's constant prayers. Surely prayers were not necessary for beauty._

"_This land is quite beautiful. And a land that is truly beautiful can maintain the beauty without a pillar," said Lantis._

_This gave Zagato something to think about, as well as some hope. Unbeknownst to him and Lantis, Princess Emeraude was watching both of them. _

_**Flashback ends**_

Hikaru opened her eyes and sat up, panting. _'Wow, what a dream.' _She saw her 2 best friends watching over her.

"What happened, Miss Hikaru?" asked Fuu.

"Did you have another weird dream?" asked Umi. Hikaru nodded, and told them all about it.

"I see," said Fuu.

Hikaru thought some more about the dream. One thing she can say about it was that it helped her to understand Zagato better. No wonder he went to such lengths to stop her and the others from reaching Princess Emeraude. She never dreamt that he and Princess Emeraude would be back from the dead, but she was forever grateful for that. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Where is Eagle? Are his battleships still outside?" she asked.

"Yes, they're still outside the castle," replied Umi.

"Did he manage to attack the castle, after we left?" pressed Hikaru. She thought she heard rumbling noises while she was sleeping.

"Yes he did. Fuu and I tried to stop him, but we were overpowered. However, it seems that Geo ceased fire because Eagle is inside the castle."

Hikaru gasped at this. She knew what Eagle was up to, and it would be easier for him to succeed, now that he was actually inside the castle. However, she had to admit that every time she thought she had him figured out, he surprised her. He was quite friendly for an enemy. She would've definitely like to become friends with him. She hoped that it would happen one day. Umi put a hand on Hikaru's shoulder.

"Whatever Eagle does, we will face it together," she said.

"That's right," said Fuu.

* * *

><p>Nova was still reeling from her defeat. It also bothered her that there seemed to be no place in Hikaru's heart for her. She went to complain about this to Lady Debonair.<p>

"Hikaru doesn't want me in her heart, Mother Debonair! She chooses those friends over me. Also, she seems to be more in love with Lantis than she was before."

The sinister woman saw the pain in her "daughter's" eyes. Though she was only manipulating the girl, she feigned sympathy.

"And I suppose you want that magic knight and the man she loves?" she asked.

"Yes I would! Very much."

"Then you shall have the object of your desire. But bide your time and wait until those silly people least expect it. I promise you that very soon, you will have your chance to show them the true meaning of fear. "

"I can hardly wait!" Nova chuckled to herself and began to consider possible ways to cause Hikaru some pain. _'I know! I will kill the man she loves in the most painful way possible! That'll get her to play with me!' _She was proud of herself for coming up with such a diabolical deed.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17

* * *

><p>Ever since Alcyone had her battle with Zagato, she was unable to take him off her mind. And she was wrestling with her conscience as well. A part of her wanted to kill him so she could rid her mind and heart of him but on the other hand, she couldn't bring herself to hurt him, even if he did break her heart. She was so confused.<p>

_'Why am I feeling this way?' _ she wondered. Was it just because her new master denied her a chance to redeem herself and go after him again? Considering how she was feeling now, it was a good thing Debonair didn't give her another chance. She didn't know why, but she was glad that he defeated her as easily as he did.

The ice sorceress also found herself wondering what was going on with the magic knights. _'What am I thinking about them for? They're my enemies and did nothing but cause me pain.'_ Of course, Hikaru had showed concern for her during the one battle she had with the girls. That was probably why. She thought maybe she should have taken the young girl up on her offer. She had seemed sincere after all. Though she would feel awkward being amongst her one-time greatest foes.

_'Ridiculous. Concern is for the weak.' _said that nagging voice in her head. She decided to see if Debonair would give her a chance to defeat the magic knights. After all, those girls were definitely her enemies. Surely her master would not object to her defeating them, she wanted them gone as well. She approached the villainess and bowed respectfully. She paid no attention to Nova.

"I beg you my lady for another chance to defeat those novice magic knights. I will succeed this time."

Debonair was very displeased about having been interrupted while she was devising her evil scheme with Nova. "Certainly not. You've outlived your usefulness."

Alcyone was shocked to the core..and speechless at first. This was just like that time Zagato had stunned her by whispering the words to Princess Emeraude and she realized she had thrown her life away for nothing. She had thought Debonair was different, that she was fair. After all, she was the one who rescued her.

"You can't mean that," she managed to protest.

"Oh, but I do. I have no use for incompetent fools like you. Now if you want to survive, I suggest you get out of my sight. And remember our agreement regarding my whereabouts."

Alcyone did remember. If she revealed where Debonair was, she would be killed. She did just as Debonair had said; she didn't want to be around a ruler who made her feel used. She decided that she just would swallow her pride and take Hikaru up on her offer. Maybe she could learn to get along with those girls from another world after all.

Debonair went back to making evil plans with Nova. "Now where was I? Oh yes. I was about to put an end to the happy moment of those silly people of Cephiro. How would you like to pay that magic knight a visit and claim the object of your desire?"

Nova's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, Mother! I would like that very much!"

Debonair laughed evilly. "Then take a few of my creatures with you as gifts." She summoned her creatures.

"Thank you, Mother!"

"You know what to do."

"I sure do!" The young girl disappeared into a black hole with the monsters and her Rune-God Regalia.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hikaru and her friends were spending some time with the children in the garden of residential headquarters. Mira handed Hikaru a beautiful wreath of white flowers she had made.<p>

"Wow this is beautiful! Thank you!"

"I'm so glad you like it. And now that Princess Emeraude is back I can make one for her, too!"

"That's right!" Hikaru was sure that the former pillar would appreciate it, too.

All of a sudden, Hikaru felt shivers going down her spine and she sensed an extremely eery presence. She recognized the aura right away. Nova. A black hole appeared, radiating evil energy. Trapped inside the hole were some hideous monsters. Nova materialized out of the hole as well.

Umi wasn't pleased to see her. She thought it was too good to be true that she would actually get a day off without having to fight. "It's you again."

"That's right. Did you honestly think that you've seen the last of me?"

Umi didn't like this girl at all. She couldn't see how she could say she was Hikaru. She thought of a very good, snarky comment to retort.

"Relax, girls. I won't deal with you right now. There is someone else on my agenda. So you can play with my monsters!"

"Well thank you for your generosity!" Umi said sarcastically.

"I'm glad you appreciate it. I must get going. I'm going to have some fun with Lantis!" With that, she disappeared.

Hikaru was worried. She didn't know what Nova meant by that, but knowing her dark mind, she was not to be trusted. She often did a lot of talk about wanting to kill her friends, and her worst fear was that Lantis would be the first to go. She couldn't let that happen.

The children were frightened by Nova. They started to whimper. More monsters appeared in the black hole.

"Hikaru? Do you know where Nova went?" asked Umi.

"Not exactly sure..but I have a bad feeling."

"Miss Hikaru, you go after Nova. We'll take care of the monsters," said Fuu.

"Mm-hm." The magic knight of fire went to track down Nova.

* * *

><p>Nova had managed to penetrate the barrier that protected Eagle's bedroom. Lantis spun around sharply. It was HER again... the one who Hikaru had to battle against in order to revive her sword. He had created a barrier that would protect Eagle's room from her kind..and yet she passed through as if it were nothing.<p>

"How is it that you were able to penetrate the barrier?"

Nova smirked evilly. He was so clueless, it was amusing.

"It's because I am Hikaru. So if she's allowed to pass through, I'm also allowed." Oh, was she going to take advantage of that, too.

Lantis didn't like the sound of that at all. This meant that Nova could come after Hikaru whenever she wanted to. Nova smirked again, and destroyed the barrier with one blast. Eagle was amazed by such power.

"Is she really Hikaru?" he asked Lantis.

"No she isn't."

Nova was infuriated that Lantis dared to call her a liar, and amused at his denial. "So you're the one Hikaru fell in love with. Prepare to die!" She attacked with Ruby Lightning. Lantis blocked it with his sword. Nova gritted her teeth.

"Are you all right?" Lantis asked Eagle.

"Yes, I am," replied Eagle. He wondered what Lantis was doing, worrying about an enemy. Nova attacked again, but once more, Lantis blocked the attack.

"Die!" screamed Nova. She attacked with Flame Arrow this time. The attack penetrated Lantis' protective barrier, and wounded him in the shoulder. Lantis clutched at his shoulder.

"Lantis!" cried Eagle. He stopped, hearing himself. Now _he _ was the one worrying about an enemy. He emitted some strings from his hand, binding Nova. Nova growled at this.

"You know, Eagle, Hikaru doesn't hate you at all."

The cornsilk-haired man looked shocked. He had no idea.

It was as if Nova read his mind. "Oh no. She loves you, too! So that means you will die as well." She managed to break free after awhile. She attacked again with Flame Arrow, but it had no effect on either Lantis or Eagle this time. The young girl spun around, and saw Hikaru standing in the doorway. She was glad to see the magic knight. She wondered what had been taking her so long.

"Well, well, Hikaru...you came just in time to witness Lantis' death," she mocked.

"You'll do no such thing, Nova!"

"I'd like to see you stop me," said Nova.

* * *

><p>Fuu and Umi had a hard time battling the monsters. So much so that Ferio, Lafarga and Zagato had to help them.<br>"Is it me, or are these monsters much stronger?" asked Ferio.

"It's definitely not you," said Caldina.

"Why are these monsters so strong?" wondered Ferio.

"The fear in these children is possibly the source of the monsters' strength," said Zagato.

Umi decided to put Zagato's theory to the test. She turned to the terrified children. "Hey children, don't cry anymore."

"Huh?" asked Mira. She was trying her hardest to be brave, but it was so hard. These monsters were scarier than the one Hikaru once saved her from.

Fuu explained that the monsters were a part of everybody's heart and that the slightest amount of fear would increase the monsters' strength.

"That's right. So you must try your hardest to be brave, no matter how afraid you are."

The children quieted down instantly.

"I believe in you," said Mira.

"So do we," said the other children.

Umi and Fuu fought the monsters again, and this time, the monsters were easily weakened.

* * *

><p>The battle with Nova was still going on. It seemed that Hikaru could not scratch her. Her yellow coloured sword seemed to be stronger than Hikaru's sword. Lantis ambushed her with one of his attacks. This angered Nova very much. She attacked with another Flame Arrow attack. This time, Hikaru took the brunt of the blow. She collapsed from the pain. Nova was surprised at this.<p>

"You really love that guy that much? You were the one who killed his brother, you know. You should realize that he won't love you back. Why are you wasting your time?"

Hikaru never really thought about that. It had happened so fast. She just found herself caring deeply for his well being. Before she could answer, Lady Debonair appeared. "Nova, you must return at once. You will have another chance again soon.

Nova was disappointed, but she didn't say anything. "I'll be back. You WILL be mine, Lantis!" She teleported away.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18

* * *

><p>The sky was shrouded in darkness even more than before. There was also a flash of lightning. This type of weather indicated that the destruction of Cephiro was nearing its final stages. Mage Clef was in his bed sleeping when he heard loud explosions. He could also hear footsteps running in the hallway. He knew who was making the explosions, and who the footsteps belonged to. It was Autozam's commander, Eagle. It meant that he was free. The explosions frightened Princess Emeraude a bit.<p>

"What is happening?" she asked.

"Eagle Vision," replied Zagato, "it appears that he had some hidden weapons elsewhere."

"I see," said Princess Emeraude. She really hoped that a new pillar would be born soon so that peace would be restored to Cephiro.

Hikaru and her friends heard the explosions as well. The ensuing explosions were so loud that the girls could barely hear themselves think. The noise was grating on Umi's nerves.

"What is it with these explosions?" she asked, annoyed. She rubbed her forehead dramatically.

"Do you think it's Mr. Eagle?" asked Fuu.

"Possibly," answered Hikaru. She was confused. She thought all of his weapons had been confiscated. Unless he had some hidden ones no one knew about. _'I knew that he wants control of the pillar system but I never thought he would destroy the castle.' _

"Well if it is, we must stop him."

"Yeah, but there are explosions everywhere! It could take us ages to find Eagle!" fretted Umi.

Fuu was amazed at Umi's pessimism when she was usually very confident. "Never mind that, Miss Umi. Let's split up!"

"Good idea," said Hikaru. She went to search for Eagle.

* * *

><p>Alcyone was resting in bed. After she arrived at the castle, she had collapsed. The spell that Lady Debonair had placed on her was broken. However, the ordeal was too much for her. Lantis came in to check on her. Alcyone woke up,and sat up. She glanced at Lantis, and saw a resemblance to High Priest Zagato. She felt a little bit of pain. Lantis sat on her bed, and held her up. She flinched a bit.<p>

"Does it hurt?" Lantis asked her.

Alcyone didn't know how to reply to this. He seemed so different from Zagato. He seemed almost kind to her. Zagato wouldn't give a rats behind about her. She wanted to know who this man was.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Zagato's younger brother. My name is Lantis."

"Younger brother?" repeated Alcyone. She couldn't believe it. He seemed so much kinder than Zagato was...she never would have guessed that they were related,except for the similarities in both voice and appearance.

"It appears that Lady Debonair's spell has been broken," said Lantis.

"Lady Debonair's spell?" asked Alcyone.

"You can hear my voice, can you not?"

"I can. Very clearly."

Lantis asked the ice sorceress to tell him where Lady Debonair was, for although he could sense her presence, he could not see her.

Alcyone hesitated for a bit, as she remembered the agreement. However, she thought her life was a waste and she was beyond redemption for her mistakes. She was about to tell him, but she felt a sharp pain that was so unbearable that she was forced to keep quiet.

"It appears that everything regarding Debonair is locked away," concluded the magical swordsman.

Just then, the door was destroyed by an explosion. Lantis looked up to see who it was. Standing in the doorway was Eagle Vision.

"Eagle," said Lantis.

"I hope I'm not intruding," said Eagle.

Lantis ignored the comment.

"I see that you have hidden weapons," he said.

"They may not look like much, but they always get the job done," said Eagle. A tiny grenade appeared dropped onto the floor. Eagle left the room, and created another explosion with his small grenades. Lantis shielded Alcyone from the explosion.

"I will be back shortly. You are to remain here until you've regained all of your strength." He went to see where Eagle had gone off to. He had a hunch that it was to seize the proof of the pillar. He had to stop him.

Alcyone stared after Lantis. She didn't know what to make of his kindness. Perhaps she could trust him.

* * *

><p>Sure enough, Eagle was on his way to the crown room. <em>'Ha ha ha ha, the proof of the pillar will soon be mine!'<em>

"Hold it!"

Eagle turned around. It was Lantis, trying to stop him from achieving his goal.

"You still wish to stop me, eh? Well, suit yourself. I need your assistance anyways."

Lantis prepared to fight. Hikaru arrived at the scene.

Lantis drew his sword, and lunged at Eagle. The Autozam commander blocked the sword with his own. He had a feeling that Lantis was holding back. Not something he expected from a warrior of his caliber.

"I must commend you on your determination, Lantis...you remind me of myself. However, if you do not fight me 100 percent seriously, you will be the one who ends up dead," he said.

"Lightningbolt Assault!"

Eagle blocked the lightning attack, and shot a piece of string. It wrapped around Lantis' sword, and Eagle tightly pulled the string in order to hold the sword in place. The item on his wrist emitted a glow, which indicated that the crown room was nearby. Mage Clef's ring began to glow. Zagato's armor shone as well.

'_What is this? Could it be that the crown room has been opened?'_

Princess Emeraude became worried when she saw this. She knew that if the proof of the pillar fell into the wrong hands, the results would be quite tragic.

* * *

><p>Eagle was proud that he managed to succeed in opening the crown room.<p>

_'The proof of the pillar will belong to me,' _thought Eagle. He made a beeline for the crown room. Lantis called after him to not do it.

"It's too dangerous. If you're not worthy, you won't come out alive," he warned.

Eagle turned around for a brief moment.

"That's why I'm allowing myself to be tested. To see if I am worthy," he said. He continued running toward the crown room.

"Stop it! Eagle, don't do it!" called Hikaru, running after Eagle. They both entered the crown room.

_**Flashback begins**_

_Princess Emeraude was crowned as the pillar and was taken to the court where her subjects were._

"You are Cephiro's pillar now. You will need protection while performing your duties," Clef told her.

"You should be worrying about the people of Cephiro, instead of my protection," said Princess Emeraude.

"But by protecting you, the people of Cephiro are being protected," countered Mage Clef. He introduced her to Lantis, who would serve as the captain of the guard and magical swordsman, and High Priest Zagato, who was assigned to aid the princess in her prayer for peace.

"Please, just call me Zagato if you prefer," said Zagato, bowing respectfully.

Sometime after that, Zagato told Princess Emeraude that Lantis had disappeared from Cephiro, and it seemed

_that he left Cephiro altogether, for he could not sense his presence anywhere._

"Shall I search for him?" asked Zagato.

Princess Emeraude shook her head.

"Knowing Lantis, he must have had a good reason for leaving. Let him follow his own path," she said.

"As you wish, princess," said Zagato.

Over a period of time, Princess Emeraude's feelings for Zagato grew stronger. She forgot her duties as the pillar. Feeling guilty about this, she told Mage Clef of her decision to fulfill the legend, and summon the magic knights.

"You must not! If you do it-" said Mage Clef.

She told him why she was doing it, and that her sins would never be forgiven.

"You are a human being. If you wish for your own happiness, no one would call you selfish," pointed out Mage Clef.

_"But I cannot forgive myself," protested the princess. "I beseech thee, please guide the magic knights. Also, tell them I am sorry for putting them in such a position. " She proceeded to perform the summoning spell. _

_**Fast forward time**_

_The truth about the battle had finally been revealed to the magic knights, and after some pleading, they were convinced to grant Emeraude's wish. They combined their forces and delivered the fatal blow. _

"_Zagato..finally, I am yours, and only yours."_

_**Flashback ends**_

The flash of light cleared, and revealed a sight truly unbelievable. Both Hikaru and Eagle made it out of the crown room alive. However, they were both unconscious. Lantis was astonished by this. Could it be?


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19

* * *

><p>Lantis was still in shock over the latest turn of events. He thought Clef was just the one to know about this. Perhaps the magician would be able to assist in confirming his idea of what these events meant. He entered Mage Clef's room.<p>

"Lantis...you've come to talk about the crown, have you not?" asked the ancient magician. He wondered what was on his mind this time, and what had happened regarding the opening of the crown room.

"Hikaru and Eagle have entered the crown room and both of them are unharmed."

Mage Clef was shocked when he heard that. He knew that only one person was worthy of becoming the pillar, so if Hikaru and Eagle both made it out of the crown room, that was _extremely_unusual. Did it mean that both Hikaru and Eagle were worthy? That was the only conclusion he could come up with. Still, only one person could be pillar. But which one?

"What do you think this means?" he asked.

"I believe it means either of them are worthy. But there can only be one pillar, so only time will tell which one will be chosen," said Lantis.

"I suppose you're right," said Mage Clef. "What's the condition of Eagle and Hikaru?"

"They are both resting peacefully. The ordeal has left them unconscious."

"I see." That didn't surprise Clef.

Lantis left the room, and went to find Zagato and Princess Emeraude to tell them about the shocking turn of events.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Primera was looking for Lantis. She hadn't seen him in what seemed like ages to her, and she was going stir-crazy.<p>

"Lantis! Where are you? " she called. She wondered if he could be with Hikaru. Just thinking about that possibility made her blood boil, although he was NOT with Hikaru. She couldn't understand what Lantis saw in Hikaru. For one thing, Hikaru was only a kid. Mokona hopped toward her and knocked her out of the air.

"What did you do that for?" asked the blue haired fairy, annoyed. Mokona was just like an irritating little brother to her.

Mokona started doing different gestures, as if he was telling her something. Primera was puzzled as to what the gestures meant.

"Is that an impersonation of Hikaru?" asked Primera, "so are you trying to say that Hikaru is a good kid?"

"Pu, pu."

"Hmph! I'll only believe it when I see it! She's trying to get between Lantis and me, and I'm not gonna tolerate it!" ranted Primera. Actually, she was happy to get to know this girl, to see what type of person she was. After all, she hadn't known her well and was never alone with her before.

"Pu, pu, pu," said Mokona.

"What is it now?" asked Primera. She sat on top of Mokona's head, and looked outside.

"What IS that?" asked Primera.

Chizeta's mobile fortress was outside.

* * *

><p>Just as Lantis expected, his brother and Princess Emeraude found what he told them about Hikaru and Eagle to be incredulous.<p>

"So you're saying that either Hikaru or Eagle could become the next pillar? But how is that possible?" asked Princess Emeraude incredulously. Her confusion about this was understandable, for this had never happened before.

"I am not sure," replied Lantis. The possibility that Hikaru could be the pillar made Lantis even more determined to do everything in his power to destroy the pillar system. He knew that Hikaru was in love with him, and he did not want history to repeat itself. He told Zagato and Princess Emeraude of this decision.

"I wish you success," said Zagato. He did not want Hikaru to be forced to hide her feelings if she became the pillar. And he certainly did not want her to suffer the fate of being laid to rest. He had grown to be fond of the magic knight. She deserved some happiness in her life.

Princess Emeraude thought that was a risky move, but at the same time could be worth it. "I hope you can find a way to demolish the pillar system without Cephiro crumbling."

"I will, if it's the last thing I do," vowed Lantis.

* * *

><p>Umi went outside to fight against the princesses of Chizeta, Tarta and Tatra. She had made the decision to keep fighting against them after she had heard their motives for invading Cephiro. Two Jinn spirits appeared.<p>

_'I hope I don't have to fight against those spirit things,'_thought Umi, shuddering. She was repulsed by the sight of them and often had nightmares.

"So we meet again, Umi," said one of the spirits.

Umi gasped.

"We princesses Tarta and Tatra hereby challenge you to a duel. Not a spirit versus Rune-God. We will each fight one sword match with you one on one. If you win, we will call of our invasion," said Tarta.

"You bet I accept the duel!" She was feeling so psyched and well prepared. There was no way she would back down, no matter what either of the princess threw at her. Something told her that they would hold up their end of the bargain.

"Good." Tarta lowered the fighting stage they would fight on. She and Umi stepped on, and the duel began. At first, it was so evenly matched that neither of them landed a blow. But after a few attempts, Umi's will power climaxed, and she defeated Tarta. She went over to the younger princess and held her up. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Tarta opened her eyes.

"Why are you so concerned about me?" she asked Umi.

"We're supposed to fight until one of us can't fight anymore."

Tatra, the older princess announced that it was her turn.

"Tatra is good...no one in Chizeta has ever defeated her," warned Tarta.

_'Uh oh,' _thought the blue haired magic knight. She had to stay strong. She was determined to win.

"Fight me!" said Tatra, taking off her robe and leaping onto the stage. She and Umi began to battle. Just as Tarta said, Tatra was excellent. In fact, she managed to make Umi fall of the stage. Tarta had one of her spirit guardians catch her. Tatra was shocked at this.

"Tarta," she said.

Umi attacked again, and this time, she was able to overpower Tatra.

"Tatra!" screamed Tarta.

Umi went over to Tatra, and held her up.

"Can you hear me, Tatra? Are you all right?" she asked.

Tatra chuckled, and assured Umi that she was fine. Tarta came over to check on her elder sister.

"Are you all right, Tatra?" she asked.

Tatra nodded. Tarta apologized for saving Umi.

"It's all right. I think she still would have beaten me even if she didn't need to be rescued," assured Tatra. She was so impressed that Umi managed to defeat her, the best fighter of Chizeta. A very worthy opponent indeed.

"Are you satisfied now, sister?"

Tarta nodded.

"We lost the duel. As we promised, we will call off our invasion," said Tatra.

"Honestly?" asked Umi.

Tatra nodded. Umi walked up to Tarta, and held her hands.

"Does that mean we don't have to fight anymore?" asked Umi.

"I reckon so."

"In that case, maybe we could all be friends," suggested Umi.

Tarta agreed to do so, but only if the blue haired magic knight did something about her arrogance. Umi took offense to that.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked angrily.

"You know what I mean!" Tarta retorted. She and Umi began to bicker. Tatra chuckled at this.

"I'm sure you 2 will be the best of friends," she said.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20

* * *

><p>The proof of the pillar was still changing its shape. It had begun to on the day Hikaru and Eagle entered the crown room. Both of them had yet to know which one of them was destined to be the next pillar. It depended on how strong their wills would be during certain situations.<p>

Lantis had never told Mage Clef what he thought of the pillar system before, and decided that it was time to let his views be known, now that there were two possible candidates who had the qualifications of the pillar. "I do not like the thought of Cephiro's fate depending solely on the pillar."

"Agreed." It was so burdensome that Princess Emeraude had no room for anything else in her heart. Under her reign, Cephiro was peaceful. There were no natural disasters and very little, if any, violence. But even though Princess Emeraude had forgotten her duties and her heart was filled with sadness, she still proved how selfless she was when she denied her freedom at the people's expense and wished for her own destruction instead.

Clef asked the questions he wanted the answers to for quite sometime. "Tell me, Lantis...why did you leave Cephiro? And why did you return at this time?"

"I had no desire to witness the potential tragedy that would unfold as a result of Zagato's love and the law against it. I have returned to eliminate the pillar system once and for all." Although Princess Emeraude and Zagato had been given a second chance to live, and Emeraude's heart was free this time around, he did not want the next pillar to go through the same thing she did. He did not believe that tragedy should ever be allowed to repeat itself.

Mage Clef thought that was an acceptable solution. "I am sure that you have noticed that Hikaru has had a difficult time forgiving herself for what happened as well."

Lantis nodded. It pained him that she was so hard on herself, especially after she was forgiven. This gave him another reason to destroy the pillar system.

"I do not want to see tear stained faces of the magic knights ever again," said Mage Clef.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Umi had returned from her duel with the princesses of Chizeta. She was proud of herself for her victory, not to mention the fact that she was able to negotiate with the princesses. That was icing on the cake for her, even if she had to learn to get along with the younger sister.<p>

"Look, Fuu, Umi has returned," said Ferio.

Fuu was very glad to see Umi. She was worried about her the whole time she was fighting the duel. "Hello Miss Umi. How are you feeling? You weren't injured at all, were you?"

"Not a scratch on me," said Umi. She introduced Ferio and Fuu to the princesses of Chizeta.

"Pleased to meet you," said Tatra warmly. She introduced herself. But Tarta was not as friendly.

"I'm Tarta." She turned her back to Tatra.

Umi looked slightly embarrassed."Don't mind her. She means nothing by it," she told Fuu.

"She's a very shy person," added Tatra.

"I see," said Fuu.

Tatra didn't think Tarta was doing a good job making a good first impression at all. In order to get her to look happier, she stretched her cheeks as widely as she could.

"Stop! You're hurting me!" whined Tarta. She found her sister's goofy antics frustrating.

"I'm sorry," said Tatra, letting go of her sister's cheeks. "I'm only looking out for your well being."

Just then, a red dragon shaped battleship appeared outside.

"It's Fahren's battleship," said Fuu.

A little girl's voice announced that she came in peace. Fuu recognized the voice. It was Aska of Fahren. Aska and Sang Yung came out of the battleship and entered the castle. At first, Lady Aska was not sure how to say what she wanted to say. Sang Yung gave her a look that said, _'Just say it.'_

Aska nodded. "I just came to say that Fahren would stop its invasion, because I love my people too much to think only of Cephiro. "

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed the sandy haired magic knight. She was hoping that the princess would see what she had been trying to tell her.

"I also wanted to keep the promise that we made," continued Aska.

"Promise?" repeated Fuu, looking confused for a moment. Then she remembered.

"Yeah. You said that if we met under different circumstances, we would have tea," Aska reminded her.

"That's right. I thought you would have forgotten about that."

"Of course I didn't," said the princess, looking a bit hurt. She worried that Fuu would see her as a bother. "I'm sorry, but am I bothering you?"

"Not at all," said Fuu kindly. She felt bad for acting like she forgot.

"Would it be all right if I called you Fuu?"

"Of course."

"Yay!" shouted Aska, throwing her arms around Fuu.

* * *

><p>Hikaru was thinking about the turn of events that occurred in the crown room. She was surprised that it turned out that she was one of the possible pillar candidates. And she was especially surprised that 2 people had the hearts of a pillar. Suddenly, her expression into a sinister one. A hand reached out of the mirror and grabbed her. It was Nova again. She gasped in horror.<p>

"If it is you who is the pillar, what will you do, Hikaru?" asked Nova mockingly.

In all actuality, that was a good question. Hikaru really didn't want to abandon her love for Lantis. She hoped there would be a way around that, even if she was the pillar.

"I HATE Lantis! All he wants to do is stop me from playing with you," said Nova impetuously. She called on two monsters to "play" with Hikaru. Two incredibly hideous monsters appeared. Nova disappeared from the room, and went looking for Lantis.

Nova had failed to kill Lantis the first time she tried. Hikaru had a very bad feeling that she was going to correct that. But with the monsters blocking her way, it looked like she wasn't going anywhere for awhile. _'Oh no! I must warn Zagato about this. I hope that after I'm done fighting these monsters, I won't be too late.' _She got off her bed and prepared to fight Nova's creatures, something that could take forever.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21

* * *

><p>Hikaru struggled to battle Nova's monsters. They were nearly as powerful as Regalia. At that moment, she knew it was too late. Nova had managed to mortally wound Lantis. She had seen a tremendous amount of blood. Not only that, but Nova also kidnapped him. Hikaru had to let Zagato know about this as soon as possible. But that would have to wait until she was done fighting the monsters. She fought the monsters more, and managed to weaken them a bit. She sensed Clef calling her. She hoped the monster stayed down at least until she was through talking to him.<p>

"Clef! It's Lantis! Something's happened to him."

"I believe you're right, Hikaru. I have been following his consciousness, but I can no longer sense his presence."

"He's been hurt! I was able to feel his pain. Blood was everywhere. Nova was behind it," said Hikaru frantically.

"Try to calm down, Hikaru. If you don't stay in control, Nova will grow even stronger," said the ancient sorcerer.

Hikaru was shocked by that. She did her best to pull herself together, but it was quite difficult. All she could think about was Lantis. _'Lantis, please don't die! Please hang on!' _

Mage Clef told her the truth about Nova. It turned out that Nova was a part of her heart. Hikaru found the story to be incredulous. She couldn't recall thinking those things Nova constantly said.

"It can't be true," said Hikaru in shock.

"It is true," said Mage Clef. "All the emotions you felt during the battle with Princess Emeraude were burned onto Cephiro."

Hikaru was beginning to see the whole picture now. "And that's Nova?"

"Yes," said Mage Clef.

" It's true that after the battle with Princess Emeraude, I had wanted to scream that it couldn't be true, but I was afraid that if I did, my heart would have been ripped out. " She was so confused that she had to fight the pillar to save the world, just because she fell in love.

"I understand now. So the one who hurt Lantis had to be me." She didn't want to believe that, but it was true. And she was worried about what Zagato would think when he found out. She hoped that he would be able to forgive her. Her greatest fear was that he would despise her for what happened. She did her best to put aside her feelings so she could prepare for one final attack. She heard a low growl. The monster's wounds had healed, and it was about to strike. Hikaru slashed the monster with her sword, defeating it. She went to find Zagato. After all, he was the one she should be telling about this, no matter how difficult it would be.

* * *

><p>The effects of Hikaru's attack produced pain in Nova's chest. It wasn't just physical pain, but also emotional pain as well. The feeling was very foreign for her.<p>

Lady Debonair noticed her expression, and asked what was wrong.

"It's my heart, Mother...it hurts," complained Nova. She clutched at her chest.

"It's probably that magic knight's heart flooding into you," said Debonair. She turned her attention to the prisoner—Lantis. She walked up to him. He was barely conscious when Nova first brought him and now he had completely lost consciousness due to the loss of blood. "Congratulations on capturing this man, my daughter. His heart is amazingly strong. I can use it to my advantage." She was always looking for potential servants suitable for doing her vile bidding.

Nova was too distracted by her discomfort to pay much attention to her "mother's" scheme. "I can hear you crying, Hikaru. You're crying because of Lantis. I am not used to feeling this way. My heart hurts..."

* * *

><p>Hikaru entered Zagato's room. It looked like he was alone. Good. She needed to talk to him in private. He turned around. He noticed that her right sleeve was torn, and her arm was bleeding. He wondered what had happened. To put it bluntly she looked pitiful, not to mention somewhat lost. Not a very pretty sight for her.<p>

"Hikaru...you were hurt," he said. "How did this happen?"

She gingerly sat on the bed. She just wanted to get her feelings off her chest. "It is really nothing to worry about. However, I must apologize to you. It's Lantis...because of me, he was hurt badly, and because of me, he was captured. "

Zagato gave a confused frown. How could she be behind Lantis' kidnapping when she wasn't even capable of conceiving of such a scheme, much less actually plotting it?

"How so?" he asked.

Hikaru told him about Nova.

"I see." He thought he sensed someone with an aura similar to that of Hikaru, though there was something different about it.

"You are Lantis' brother...so I had to apologize to you. I can understand if you despise me, but I want you to know I never meant for this to happen."

The sadness in the young girl's eyes... it hurt Zagato to see her like this. He felt compelled to comfort her. He just hoped no one would take it the wrong way. "Yes, I know."

Hikaru felt a sense of reassurance. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She buried her head in his chest and wept. It felt strange, and somewhat comforting to be confiding in her former enemy. More than anything, she was relieved that he wasn't angry about this.

* * *

><p>Sierra and Mage Clef entered Alcyone's room.<p>

"Master Mage Clef...Presea." She wondered what they wanted. She wasn't in the mood for any visitors.

Just then, the residential quarters began to crumble. The crumbling of Cephiro had reached its final stage. Caldina nearly got hit with the tiny rocks, but Lafarga shielded her. Ascot decided to check on Umi.

"Ascot, where are you going?" asked Caldina.

"To see if Umi's all right."

Umi might have denied having feelings for the ancient sorcerer, but Caldina could tell, even though she tried in vain to hide her true feelings. She didn't want Ascot to be heart broken. "I hate to have to tell you this, but Umi is in love with-" But Ascot interrupted her.

"It's all right. Even if Umi doesn't love me, I can be happy knowing that I love her," he said.

A rock was about to drop on Primera. She called for Lantis to save her. Mokona shielded her from the rock. She was surprised at this.

"Are you protecting me?"

"Pu pu," answered the magical rabbit.

"It must be because you think I'm so cute," said Primera, giggling. Mokona was beginning to grow on her.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

* * *

><p>Hikaru was not alone with Zagato for very long, as Princess Emeraude returned from her relaxation in the hot springs a few moments later. By then, her tears had subsided somewhat. Princess Emeraude was surprised to see her in the room.<p>

"Is there something wrong, Hikaru?" asked the princess, noticing Hikaru's tear stained face.

"Yes."

"Do you care to tell me about it?"

Truth was, Hikaru didn't really feel like it, for fear she would start crying again. But she thought maybe Princess Emeraude would also be able to help. She took a deep breath and related the whole story to the former pillar. Surprisingly, she had decent control over her voice.

As complicated as the situation was, Princess Emeraude absorbed it right away. She was also able to relate a great deal. "There, there. Don't criticize yourself too harshly. Everything will be all right. "

"I hope so. If Lantis dies, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." The thought of losing him was unbearable. Another tear slid down Hikaru's cheek. Zagato wiped it away.

"Tears are unbecoming of you, Hikaru. Lantis would want to see a smile on your face."

"Lantis must despise me now...for doing what I did to you. It's foolish to expect him to love me..but I love him. I don't know why,but I do."

"There are no reasons required for true love," the princess told Hikaru wisely.

"Huh?"

"I have felt the same way you are feeling right now."

Hikaru remembered. Princess Emeraude had loved Zagato even when she was the pillar, and although her love was not allowed, she couldn't control her feelings, no matter how hard she tried.

"That's right. Remain true to your heart, and you shall have your desire," said Zagato. He did not want her to go through the same things Princess Emeraude went through, should she become the new pillar.

_'Of course, Zagato, you would know all about that.' _Hikaru still wasn't too sure about the advice, but it sure would be nice if she could change the pillar system, or get rid of it altogether. Speaking of which, she needed to talk to Eagle as well, since he was also a candidate of becoming the next pillar. She needed to find out what exactly he would do if he became the next pillar. This was her last chance to reason with him.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Mage Clef and Sierra were trying to find out about Lady Debonair's whereabouts from Alcyone. She was the only one who knew, since she had briefly worked for the villainess. So far, there was no progress getting the sorceress to reveal the information.<p>

"Please, Alcyone. Time is running out. Zagato's younger brother was captured by one of her people," said Mage Clef.

"Lord Zagato's younger brother?" repeated Alcyone. She had to admit, that was a shame. He was very nice to her.

Mage Clef nodded.

"And the crumbling of Cephiro has reached its final stages," he said. "We must defeat Debonair before Cephiro disappears completely."

"Now that I cannot be with the one man I love, I no longer care. The man I risked my life for, including betraying you, my master, his heart belongs to someone else. There's no reason for me to live." She wept bitterly. She couldn't bear to watch Zagato and Emeraude together, with the love she still had for the high priest. The old her would have been selfish and try to keep him for herself, but she was past that stage. Maybe she wasn't worthy of him after all.

"Poor Alcyone," said Mage Clef. Despite the fact that Alcyone betrayed him, he still felt sorry for her. He hoped that she would find peace.

* * *

><p>Hikaru felt better after her conversation with Zagato and Princess Emeraude. Now it was time for her to go talk to Eagle. She hoped that her eyes were not too red and puffy. She didn't feel like reiterating the upsetting turn of events anymore, so she hoped Eagle wouldn't ask what happened. She went to find him.<p>

Eagle was thinking about what Nova had told him about Hikaru, about her not hating him, although he was an enemy. That sparked something inside him. He realized that he felt pretty much the same way. He saw the current condition of Cephiro, and wondered if attacking the nation was worth it. Maybe a compromise would be best, and there would be a way for both of them to get their wishes.

All of a sudden, he heard his door slide open and footsteps. He looked to see who had come in. It was Hikaru. And she looked a bit sad. He wondered what had happened.

"Hikaru...what a pleasant surprise," he said, smiling. "What brings you here?"

He was warm and friendly as usual. She felt right at ease. "I have come because there's something I'd like to ask you."

Eagle wasn't surprised. The girl could be very inquisitive at times. "Yes, of course. Well, ask away."

"Well, as you know, either one of us can become the next pillar. If you are the one with the qualifications, what will you do?"

"Yes, I know that time is running out. First and foremost, I want you to understand that my wish for Autozam to be saved is unchanged. On the other hand, I have found myself thinking, that if I can, I would like to be friends with you."

Hikaru felt a little bit of hope. She was unable to forget how kind he was to her when he had kidnapped her, and how he had assisted her and Lantis during one of the battles with Nova. "Oh..would you want to be friends with Lantis, too?"

"Yes. Lantis, too. But I truly love Autozam. However, I am sure that you wouldn't want Cephiro to crumble like this, either. So if I had the qualifications to become the pillar, I will remain here and prevent this world from crumbling. I just ask one thing in return. Allow my people to come here to analyze the pillar system. I assure you, they will not invade you if you let them in. You have my word."

The deal sounded fair. And he had more or less said that he would be a worthy pillar. "I will."

Eagle had a nasty coughing fit. Hikaru was very worried. "Eagle! What's the matter?"

"It's nothing to worry about," he said hoarsely. But Hikaru didn't believe him.

"Are you sick? Does Lantis know about this?"

Eagle shook his head. "I don't want him to ever know about this. I will hang on for as long as I can. The doctors had told me that I wouldn't make the trip to Cephiro, but I did, as a result of my loyalty to the people of Autozam." He didn't like being treated like he was helpless. "So tell me, what will you do if you are the one to become the next pillar?"

"I would like to do something about the system...but I will have to consult with Mage Clef for more information about the laws of Cephiro, first."

* * *

><p>Lady Debonair smirked evilly. She already had her next plan set in motion. It was a plan involving her new hostage.<p> 


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23

Eagle and Hikaru headed for Clef's study. Eagle had to see if the sorcerer would accept his compromise and maybe make peace with him, in spite of everything he had done in his quest for obtaining control of the pillar system.

As for the problem Hikaru was dealing with regarding Lantis, she decided to just push it to the back of her mind. After all, she had more important things to deal with at the moment. She would find a way to rescue him after this. She just hoped that he would hang on until then. She decided not to worry about whether he would love her back or not, and just wait to see what happened.

Hikaru and the Autozam native entered the study, where Clef was keeping an eye on the status of Cephiro. He had decided to let Sierra try to find out from Alcyone where Debonair was. He was pleased to see Hikaru, and the fact that she appeared to be happier. One thing he found unusual was that Eagle came in with her.

"It's you!" He wasn't too pleased to see Eagle.

Eagle took it in stride. He had expected such a reaction, naturally, but wasn't too worried. "Miss Hikaru and I have come to an understanding about the fate of our countries."

"Oh?"

"Yes. If I have the qualifications to become the pillar, I have agreed to stay in Cephiro and keep it from crumbling. In exchange I am asking that my people be allowed in Cephiro to analyze the pillar system. I really don't have time for ulterior motives. I am sure that you, the strongest sorcerer in all of Cephiro, can see why I do not have much time."

Clef took a good look at Eagle, into his mind and soul. "You're seriously ill."

"That's correct."

"Most people with the severity of your illness would be deceased, but the love you seem to have for your country is allowing you to stand before me right now."

"Yes. And something else, too. " He took a quick glance at Hikaru.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Umi and Fuu were trying to find Hikaru, and Mage Clef, too. The tremors were getting worse by the second.<p>

"Haven't seen Hikaru for quite awhile," said Umi. "I hope she's all right." She was especially concerned when she heard Hikaru's cry of anguish. It sounded very serious.

"I hope Mr. Clef is all right, too." 

"Well we can't just keep on wondering. Let's make haste!" The girls sprinted as fast as they could, and burst into the study, nearly out of breath. To their relief, Hikaru and Clef were there, safe and sound. But Eagle was also there. Umi's expression turned into a frown.

'_Why is Eagle here?'_she wondered.

Those who were in residential headquarters felt the brunt of the tremors. The children were frightened by this. A rock was falling and was about to hit Primera. Mokona shielded her from the falling rocks.

"Thank you so much, Mokona! You're such a great protector!"

Sierra was still trying to get information on Lady Debonair's whereabouts out of Alcyone, but to no avail. She would just look sad, and wallow in her sadness. She seemed to be in her own world, and drowning out whatever Sierra was asking her.

"I have nothing left," was all she would say.

"Alcyone," said Sierra. She sighed. How was she going to get through to the sorceress?

Eagle was putting on his goggles. He had been gone for long enough, and he knew Geo would be upset with him for not contacting him and Zazu. Hikaru walked up to him. She was so glad that they came to an understanding.

"Not to worry. I won't go back on my word," Eagle reassured her. With that, he got into the FTO and left the castle. 

* * *

><p>"Blast that stupid balloon kid!" said Zazu. Thanks to giant Sang Yung, the NSX needed repairing. It was so infuriating. Zazu looked up, and saw the FTO.<p>

"Geo, look! It's the FTO!" he said.

Geo looked outside.

"It's about time that idiot returned," he said. Oh, was he going to give Eagle such an earful. 

* * *

><p>Hikaru had told her friends what she talked about with Eagle and Mage Clef.<p>

"So you're the next pillar?" asked Umi.

"It hasn't been decided yet. It's definitely going to be me or Eagle," answered Hikaru.

"The crown has begun to change its shape," said Fuu.

"We never told you how we felt about the pillar system. We didn't think we had a say in it," said Umi.

"But if you're a candidate to become the pillar, that means we are also responsible," said Fuu.

"I believe that the pillar should be willing to sacrifice. If the people are happy, it doesn't matter if the pillar is," said Umi.

Hikaru agreed with her. Umi gave her a hug.

"The last thing I would want is for you to become the pillar and become involved in a tragedy like Princess Emeraude's," she said.

"Same here. No one deserves to go through what we went through when we were here," said Hikaru. She was relieved to hear that if she became the pillar, it would be all right if she changed Cephiro into what she wanted to be. She knew exactly what she had in mind.

The magic knights heard their names being called.

"What's wrong, Rayearth?" asked Hikaru.

"Selece."

"Windam, what is it?" asked Fuu.

"Look outside," said Rayearth.

The three girls looked outside. There was a black hole. Nova and her Rune-God Regalia appeared. "Oh great," Umi muttered under her breath. She was so sick of Nova. It was time to prepare for battle. 

* * *

><p>Eagle was being chewed out by Geo for not contacting him and Zazu.<p>

"I forgot the communicator," he said casually.

"Are you trying to piss me off or something?" asked Geo, angrily.

"Not at all. I ought to know better than anyone else that making you angry isn't pretty."

Geo couldn't believe how cavalier his comrade sounded. "Why, you..."

"I made a pact with Cephiro," said Eagle.

Geo's temper subsided, and was replaced by amazement.

The trio of magic knights were gearing up for what they hoped would be their last battle with Nova. Hikaru had grown weary of fighting her...and tired of listening to her ranting as well.

"Everything you love, Hikaru, is something I hate!" She fired an attack at the girls. 

"Ruby Lightning!"

"Emerald Cyclone!"

"Icicle Blades!"

The attacks damaged Regalia. Nova was dumbstruck. "What?"

"You guys have new spells," said Hikaru.

"Yup," said Umi.

"Hikaru, stop it! I'm doing this for you!" said Nova.

Hikaru was speechless when she heard that. She never recalled hinting that she wanted all of her loved ones to die. Something strange was going on here. But it was comforting to know the truth about Nova. But she was ready to forgive herself now. After all, Zagato, Princess Emeraude and Lantis had forgiven her.

"Enough fooling around!" Nova ordered her Rune-God to attack with Lightningball Come Forth. Hikaru gasped at this. The spell only belonged to a few people, and all but one of them were in the castle. This could only mean one thing.

"It's Lantis' spell."

"That's right," said Nova.

"But how?" asked Hikaru, puzzled.

"Look inside Regalia." Hikaru did so, and couldn't believe what she saw. Lantis was inside, but he was unconscious.

_'Oh no!' _thought Hikaru.

* * *

><p>Eagle was having another coughing fit.<p>

"There's no way I will let you help the magic knights like this," said Geo firmly.

"I'm sorry...but my word is my bond, and I want to die as a warrior," said Eagle, closing the hatch. He announced that all the commands would be under Geo's control, and with that, he left.

"Idiot," muttered Geo, watching Eagle leave. He was so afraid that Eagle would get himself killed. "Let's go, Zazu!"

"Huh? Go where?"

"We're going after Eagle, no matter what he says!"

"Uh..okay." Zazu was astonished at Geo's tone, but he couldn't say he blamed him. He feared for Eagle's life just as much. He and Geo headed for the battle.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24

* * *

><p>The battle between Nova and the magic knights had heated up. With Nova using Lantis' powers, they were backed into a corner. Debonair's minion was unstoppable.<p>

_'There has to be a way to stop her,' _ thought Hikaru. _'But I can't fight against Lantis.' _ She had already wounded him once..she couldn't live with herself if she did it again.

Nova gave an evil laugh. "What's wrong, girls? Am I too much for you to handle? I thought you were capable of much more than that. I guess not."

Umi growled..Nova's arrogance was getting on her nerves. But at the same time she had a point. She was the one who had the upper hand. "Laugh it up, harpie! But we will be the ones getting the last laugh!"

"Is that so? Well it remains to be seen if you have what it takes to defeat me! Flame Arrow!"

Hikaru countered with her own Flame Arrow attack, but it just collided with Nova's.

"Mind if I join you girls?"

The three girls glanced up. It was Eagle. For the first time since this second time in Cephiro, they were glad to see him.

"No, not at all," said Umi. Hopefully he would be able to make Nova squirm. Just then, another Autozam battleship arrived..the NSX.

"Not just Eagle."

"I know that voice," mumbled Hikaru. One of Eagle's comrades, Geo, whom she had also met when Eagle kidnapped her. She wondered if Zazu had come, too. It looked like the army of warriors had just increased. Not that she minded. She and her friends needed all of the help they could get.

"Geo, what are you doing here?" asked Eagle.

"I should be asking you the same thing. Did you honestly believe that Zazu and I would let you throw your life away? If so, you're more of an idiot than I thought."

"That's right," agreed Zazu. "We couldn't let you fight such a tough battle alone."

It was clear to Eagle that his comrades were not taking no for an answer. "Well. I see you two made up your mind."

"You got that right."

Nova was incensed that the battle had been interrupted. "Not you guys again. Well, no matter! Since you want to get in my way, you will die along with Hikaru and her friends! Take this! Lightningball Come Forth!"

"Shield on!" The lightning attack dissolved.

"Hey Eagle, isn't that Lantis' attack?" asked Zazu.

"It is."

"I thought so." Something puzzled the little boy. "Then how come this girl is using it?"

Before Eagle could answer, Hikaru explained, "Nova had kidnapped Lantis and is now using him to destroy us."

"Oh." He was glad that he and Geo showed up, otherwise Eagle would have been destroyed by his old friend.

Eagle recalled the moment he and Lantis had battled Nova for the first time, and Nova was taunting Hikaru about falling for Lantis. Come to think of it, Hikaru had seemed to have a high opinion of him. That was it! She would be able to get through to him. "Hikaru, try calling out to Lantis for me."

"Huh?" The young teen wondered what good that would do.

"You'll be able to reach him because of your love."

"Okay." She still wasn't too sure, but decided to give it a shot anyway. "Lantis! Wake up!"

Lantis stirred, but wasn't fully conscious. The voice calling out to him sounded familiar, but everything seemed foggy.

"Don't give up, Miss Hikaru!" urged Fuu.

"LANTIS!"

Nova laughed again. "Call him all you want..you're just wasting your time!"

Umi was beyond fed up with Nova. "Don't listen to her, Hikaru. Keep calling him until he wakes up!"

Hikaru nodded. She shouted his name a few more times, and he finally opened his eyes. Now he could hear clearly. "Hikaru," he groaned.

Nova heard this, and was stunned. "He actually woke up? But how can this be?"

Hikaru reached out her hand, to help him out of the Rune-God, and both of them were electrocuted.

Nova's shock turned into disgust. "That does it! I will kill all of you in the most painful way!"

"Oh yeah?" asked Umi. "Just try it!"

Hikaru knew her friend meant well, but she was tired of all of the banter. "Let me deal with this. After all, Nova is a problem that my own heart created."

Umi didn't believe it at first, but after the battle with the monsters, she was used to the idea. "How so?"

"She is the part of me that couldn't stand killing Princess Emeraude."

"That's right," confirmed Nova. "It was Hikaru who gave birth to me, but Mother Debonair raised me. She taught me what I could do to show Hikaru how much I loved her."

Hikaru thought something was fishy about the stuff Nova used to say. Lady Debonair had been feeding her lies. _'I knew it!' _ It was time to tell her "alter-ego" the truth. "That's not what I want. I want to protect everyone I care about."

"What? But Mother Debonair told me that it would make you happy if you died with everyone you cared about."

"Debonair is only using you to satisfy her own selfish goals! She will turn on you sooner or later!"

Nova was absolutely dumbfounded. Could it been that the one person who she trusted with her life had deceived her? No. She refused to believe it. "It can't be true! Mother would never lie to me!"

Lantis decided to use this as an opportunity to break free. "Eagle, use your FTO to attack this Rune-God."

Eagle had major doubts about that order. Unlike him, Lantis had a long life ahead of him. "I can't do it! If you die, Hikaru will be devastated! She loves you with her whole being."

"Who said I want to die? I will not choose a future of dying with the one I love just because I can't be with her. I plan to escape when you attack."

Eagle was relieved to hear that. Very clever plan. He did as Lantis asked, and just as he said he would do, he freed himself from the Rune God.

Lady Debonair saw all of this, and she was very angry. She decided to confront the upstarts personally. She appeared outside. "Blast you! I was so close to achieving my ultimate goal! You little pest!" She shot her strongest attack at Eagle, intending to kill him.

Geo, realizing what was happening, scooted in front of his comrade in the NSX and intercepted the attack using the barrier. The villainess' anger grew. "Curse you, little vermin!"

While the Autozam fleet was dealing with Debonair, the magic knights decided to launch an attack on Regalia. They combined their forces. "Spiral Flash!"

The colorful energy sphere produced a large dent in the rouge Rune-God. Nova was horrified by this. She started to panic.

"My Rune God isn't strong enough to win! Mother Debonair, help me!"

Debonair, who was still miffed at having her plan thwarted, looked at her adopted daughter with scorn. "You are useless! You will die along with these stupid humans!" She decided to retreat for the moment.

Nova felt like someone had just knocked the wind out of her. She couldn't believe her adopted mother just said that. '_Could Hikaru be right about Mother Debonair?'_

Hikaru was feeling a mixture of relief and pity over the course of events. She was relieved Lantis was all right and that Eagle survived. She felt sorry for Nova because Lady Debonair had turned on her. But she was glad that Nova now knew the truth, and although she felt like she had a right to be angry and bitter for all the pain her shadow had caused, she knew that wouldn't make the situation better, only worse. No one deserved to be used as cannon fodder. She walked towards Nova.

Lost in her despair, Nova took out her anger and frustration on Hikaru.

"Flame Arrow!"

Hikaru walked through the flames as if they were nothing. It was like she had a new power.

Nova attacked again, and this time Hikaru counterattacked. She easily overpowered her alter-ego. Taken by surprise, Nova stumbled backwards. Hikaru walked up to her, and gently stroked her hair. That was something she didn't expect.

"I know the truth about you, Nova. You are a part of my heart," said Hikaru.

"I looked everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you. Mother Debonair found me, and said she would stay with me forever, and that she would always love me as a daughter," said Nova.

Unfortunately, Lady Debonair was lying to her. Hikaru apologized for Nova being all alone. Hikaru pressed Nova's hand against her heart.

"Can you feel the heart beating in my chest? It tells me I want to be with the people I love alive. I think I would like to love myself now, even the parts of me that have a hard time forgiving myself," said Hikaru, hugging Nova.

"What about me,Hikaru? Would you want to love me, too?" asked Nova.

Hikaru nodded. "Come back home." Nova nodded, and went back inside Hikaru's heart.

* * *

><p>Clef had been using his powers to support the castle. Sierra was extremely scared for him. He couldn't go on like this. She decided to try to get Alcyone to tell her where Lady Debonair was just one more time. And she would ask more earnestly, too.<p>

"Alcyone, please tell me where Lady Debonair can be found. If Clef keeps supporting the castle in his condition, he'll die!" said Sierra.

Alcyone looked at Sierra, and frowned. Something wasn't right here. It seemed like she had put on a facade for quite awhile.

"It can't be. You're not Presea, are you?"

Sierra was startled. She didn't expect Alcyone to figure it out, for not even Mage Clef knew who she was. She had come dangerously close to revealing the truth once, but that was all. But now it was time to tell the truth about her identity, since the sorceress saw through her disguise.

"How did you..you read my mind, it seems."

"I recalled Presea telling me once that she had a sister," said Alcyone.

"You are correct. I am Presea's twin sister, Sierra."

"Why are you pretending to be Presea?"

"I wanted to spare the magic knights the pain they felt when my sister passed away. Also, I wanted to help Mage Clef by leading him to believe Princess Emeraude's wish she made as the pillar had come true," explained Sierra.

"I see...you are in love with Master Clef," said Alcyone.

The expression on Sierra's face showed that she was. She envied Sierra's strong will and determination. She was willing to do anything for the man she loved, even if it was meaningless.

Just then, Hikaru, Fuu and Umi entered the room.

"Alcyone, please tell us where Lady Debonair is. No one died, but there was a close call, and I'm afraid that next time we won't be so lucky," said Umi.

"And if you can't win?" asked Alcyone.

"We will win...for the sake of saving Cephiro, we'll make sure we win."

"Even if the odds are against you.. it is for the sake of the one you love," said Alcyone. She hated to admit it, but she admired the magic knights' tenacity. She finally saw how they were able to defeat her so many times. Well, she saw no reason to live on. She didn't think she had anything left.

"Lady Debonair is..." began Alcyone. All of a sudden, some black smoke surrounded the ice sorceress, and began to engulf her. The three magic knights and Sierra gasped.

"It can't be! Is it because she was talking about Debonair?" asked Sierra.

"It's all right! You don't have to tell us," said Umi.

But Alcyone made up her mind to die. She went on to tell the magic knights that Lady Debonair was inside Cephiro's alternate realm. The smoke had almost completely swallowed her at this point. The magic knights were teary-eyed at such a sight.

"It's all right. This is the fate I have chosen for myself. There's no need to cry. My life is nothing but a waste," said Alcyone. With that,she was gone.

"Goodbye,Alcyone," said Umi, softly. The magic knights left the room, and prepared to go to Lady Debonair's castle.

'_Be safe, girls,' _thought Sierra. She left the room,and went to residential headquarters.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25

* * *

><p>The magic knights arrived at Lady Debonair's castle with very little trouble. They were ready to get this over with once and for all.<p>

"So this is Lady Debonair's castle," said Umi. It looked so creepy, though she supposed it fit someone like her.

Regalia appeared and suddenly, the girls heard diabolical laughter...the same nerve wracking laughter from Hikaru's dream.

"It's Lady Debonair!"

"Congratulations, magic knights, on making it this far. However, this will be your grave," said the ugly woman. She merged herself with Regalia.

"Let's do it,guys!" said Hikaru.

Fuu and Umi nodded. The three girls called on their Rune-Gods. They were pumped for the battle, even though they had a very bad feeling they only witnessed a small sample of her true power. That wasn't enough to make them back down, though.

"I hope we're not late to the party," said a little boy's voice.

Hikaru looked up, and saw the NSX.

"Geo, Zazu..it's you."

"In the flesh." It took pulling teeth, but Geo insisted Eagle sit out of this battle and rest, since he had such a close brush with death not too long ago.

"You foolish little bugs! You should have patiently awaited your eradication instead of pathetically fighting back! I will make your deaths slow and painful!" taunted Lady Debonair. She shot a blast of dark energy at the magic knights, Geo and Zazu. The magic knights dodged the attack.

"Shield on!" Debonair's attack easily penetrated the shield, and it hit Geo and Zazu.

"Geo, Zazu, no!" said Hikaru. She, Umi, and Fuu combined their powers once again. "Spiral Flash!" The blast hit Lady Debonair, and she was furious! No one had ever struck her before..and the fact that it was done by girls whose powers were positively miniscule compared to hers made her even more enraged.

"How dare you?" she screamed. "You'll pay for that!" She attacked the magic knights again. The blast hit them,and they screamed in pain.

Fahren and Chizeta's battleships appeared. The magic knights wondered if they were there to help, for they could use more assistance.

"Don't give up, magic knights! I believe in you!" said Aska.

"You're the ones who beat me fair and square! You'd better not be losing your touch!" said Tarta.

"I know you can do better than this!" said Tatra.

"Noisy little flies!" spat Lady Debonair. She emitted a huge explosion. The magic knights braced themselves for destruction. However, at the last moment the amulet Lantis gave Hikaru protected her at the last minute..she happened to be shielding her friends. The three girls were amazed by such awesome powers..they possibly rivaled the powers Emeraude possessed when they had to fight her.

"She's so powerful," said Umi. As repulsed as she was by the very sight of Debonair, it seemed like there was little she could do.

"Why is she so strong?" asked Hikaru weakly.

The evil woman was amused to see her foes in such a weakened state. She felt the victory within her grasp. "It is because I was created by the people of Cephiro...the same people who entrusted everything to the pillar, and the vast amount of fear which came from losing the pillar was what created me."

Nearly everyone was in total disbelief upon hearing what Lady Debonair just said.

"She is correct," said Princess Emeraude. "All of this happened because of the sadness, doubts and fears within my own heart when I had forgotten my duties as the pillar of Cephiro."

Sierra was a bit confused about this at first. "So, you're saying that Debonair is a part of everybody's heart?"

"Exactly right!" said Caldina.

"Stop fearing! We must fight against our heart which fears," said Lafarga.

Mira stood up. She didn't need reminding...she knew of this when the monsters were rampant.

"He's right! We gotta believe in the magic knights, just like we did last time," she said.

The other kids agreed, and some of the people were still unsure of what was being said.

"You people are so irritating! Who does Cephiro belong to, anyway?" asked Primera.

"All of us," some people were saying.

"That's right! It's the only home we have!" said Caldina.

Slowly, the people began to catch on. Their fear turned into faith.

"Keep fighting, magic knights! We'll fight with you!" shouted Mira.

Princess Emeraude was pleased that the people of Cephiro were learning. The last thing she wanted was for them to repeat her past mistakes.

_'Magic knights...don't disappoint me,' _thought Zagato.

* * *

><p>The magic knights felt the hearts of all the people. Their Rune-Gods received a major power boost. The proof of the pillar disappeared from the crown room, and appeared in front of Hikaru.<p>

"What?" asked Lady Debonair, in disbelief.

Hikaru took the crown, and even more power filled her. She attacked Debonair with the sword. Lady Debonair could not believe it.

"The heart that believes? Curse you, people of Cephiro! Curse you, magic knights!" she screamed. After one last scream, Lady Debonair was destroyed, and the darkness was lifted.

_' So Hikaru is the next pillar, after all,'_thought Mage Clef.

"Hikaru...the proof of the pillar," said Lantis.

Hikaru remembered that she promised Mage Clef if she had the qualifications of the pillar, she would change Cephiro into what she wanted it to be. Her work was not done yet. She raised her sword in the air.

"I hereby rid Cephiro of the pillar system! And from this day forward, Cephiro's fate will be determined by the people who live here!" she declared.

* * *

><p>Shortly after, the magic knights were soaring in the sky. It was time for them to go back to their own world..but they would have a chance to say goodbye first. Not something they really cared to do, but there was no choice.<p>

"Thy wish has been granted. Thy desire to return to Cephiro once again to fight for reasons within thine own hearts has been fulfilled," said Rayearth.

"So that means, we were summoned to Cephiro..." began Hikaru.

"By thyselves," finished Rayearth.

Fuu realized that it was now time to return back to Tokyo.

"Umi..." said Mage Clef.

"Clef...I have to tell you something," said Umi. "I have feelings for you."

The magician's eyes arched way up;he had no idea. But he thought those were kind words. "Thank you, Umi."

"Fuu..you came back, just as you promised," said Ferio.

"I won't forget...I promise you...I'll never forget about you," said Fuu tearfully. She hadn't realized until now how much she would miss him.

"Take care," said Ferio.

"Hikaru," said Lantis.

"Lantis..from now on, Cephiro will be a beautiful place...even more beautiful than when Princess Emeraude ruled over this land. "

"Yes," agreed Lantis.

"Lantis...I love you," said Hikaru.

"And I love you," said Lantis. He reached for Hikaru's outstretched hand, and held it. With that, the magic knights were back in their own world.

* * *

><p>"It appears you were right, Lantis. Cephiro can indeed be beautiful without a pillar," Zagato told his younger brother, shortly after the magic knights' departure. Mentally, he kicked himself for risking the destruction of Cephiro during Emeraude's reign in order for their love to bloom.<p>

"I never expected that Hikaru would rid Cephiro of the pillar system, but I am glad she did. I wouldn't want her to go through the same thing I went through as the pillar," said Princess Emeraude. If she had known she was allowed to change Cephiro into what she wanted it to be,and abolish the pillar system, she would have done so while she was the pillar. That way, Zagato and her love would have been allowed to bloom, and she would not have wished for her own destruction.

"I wasn't surprised she did that. After all, there is more to her and those other magic knights than meets the eye," said Zagato. He found the magic knights' determination admirable.

Lantis left to give Zagato and the princess some time alone. Zagato told Emeraude to look into his eyes. She did so, having the feeling he was about to ask her something important.

"Now that this is all over with, there's something I'd like to ask you," he said.

"What is it?" asked the princess.

Zagato asked her to be his bride. This made her shed happy tears.

"Of course I will," she said.


	27. Chapter 27

Epilogue

* * *

><p>The three girls were back at Tokyo Tower, just like when they were first summoned. The whole experience felt like a dream, but yet it wasn't. Still, all of the events felt extremely surreal...especially the return of Princess Emeraude and Zagato.<p>

"I'm so glad we were given a chance to return to Cephiro and make things right," said Fuu.

Hikaru's feelings were mutual."Yeah, we were able to fight of our own free wills and this time we had no regrets."

The three best friends gathered together in a group hug.

"You know, I've been thinking," said Umi. "In spite of all the hardships, I enjoyed being in Cephiro this time around."

"Yeah, same here," agreed Hikaru.

"We should definitely go back to Cephiro again! But not out of regret."

"No, the next time it would be because we want to know the story of the new Cephiro and see our friends." Hikaru fingered the pendant she was wearing. She and her friends had not been home for long, but she was missing Lantis already. She was not expecting him to ever love her, so when he confessed that he loved her as well, she was surprised. And she was especially glad her love for him hadn't made Zagato's opinion of her decrease, and she would be forever grateful to him for comforting her when Nova had kidnapped Lantis. She wished him and Princess Emeraude everlasting happiness.

"I wonder what everyone is doing right now. I really miss them, especially Lantis," she told her friends.

"I know what you mean," said Umi. She barely knew Zagato's younger brother, and thought it would be nice to get to know him. But mostly she thought about Clef. She couldn't pinpoint when her love for him began, all she knew was her feelings for him were profound.

"It sure would be lovely to visit Cephiro again," said Fuu, "but we still have to finish junior high school, not to mention completing high school. "

Umi gave an exasperated sigh at how the subject was changed into something less pleasant to think about. "Yeah, yeah. But now that you've mentioned it, I would like it if we get to go to high school together."

That was something Hikaru really wanted to do. Considering how close she had become to her friends, she thought it would be better if she became inseparable with them. "That would be awesome." In the meantime, maybe she and her friends could find ways to hang out even though each one attended a different school. She especially wanted to give them a tour of the Kendo school she frequented. And she still wanted to watch Fuu in an archery match and Umi in a fencing tournament.

* * *

><p>(Approximately 24 hours later)<p>

It was a very joyous occasion for Cephiro's royal couple. A wedding ball was being held for them at the castle. Everyone was happy for them, and looked forward to being part of such an occasion. They all gathered in the Great Hall, took their seats at the banquet table and waited for the princess to make her grand entrance.

Princess Emeraude walked in a few minutes later as some music started playing and everyone was so in awe of her beauty that they were speechless. Her wedding gown made her look more regal than usual. Even Zagato didn't know what to say. Seemingly oblivious to all of the astonishment, she walked over to him. For the first time in years, she found true happiness.

"Princess Emeraude is so beautiful, isn't she?" Caldina asked Sierra.

"That she is," agreed Sierra. She nibbled on some Swiss cheese, and sipped some sparkling grape juice.

Caldina smiled at how happy Zagato looked, standing next to Princess Emeraude. This was the first time she saw him this happy. And he looked very handsome in his tuxedo. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous about not being in the spotlight..with Lafarga, of course.

Mage Clef cleared his throat. That was the DJ's cue to stop the music. All the guests gave Clef their undivided attention.

"The groom has something he'd like to say to you all," said Mage Clef.

"I would like to take this opportunity to offer my gratitude to you all for attending this wedding ball," said Zagato. He was also glad that he had the opportunity to do this when he was not worthy of one.

The wedding guests cheered, and threw rice at him and Princess Emeraude, which made them chuckle.

"I'd like to propose a toast to Cephiro's high priest and the princess," said Caldina in her loudest voice.

Everyone raised their goblets. Mage Clef reminded Ascot about the rings. Ascot nodded, and brought the rings on a tiny cushion. Zagato slipped the ring onto Princess Emeraude's finger, and Princess Emeraude slipped the ring onto Zagato's finger. Caldina started thinking about the magic knights.

"What's on your mind, Caldina?" asked Sierra.

"I wish those little missies were here to see this," replied Caldina. She sincerely hoped the girls would choose to make Cephiro their home one day.

"Same here. I'm sure we will see them again someday, though."

It was time for Zagato and Princess Emeraude to share a dance. They walked to the center of the ballroom floor.

"May I have the pleasure of having this dance?" asked Zagato.

"That you may," answered Princess Emeraude.

Beautiful music started up again, and Zagato and Princess Emeraude proceeded to waltz around the dance floor. Mokona got restless, amd proceeded to hop around. He knocked over Sierra's glass of grape juice by mistake. The juice spilled onto her dress.

"Mokona!" shouted Sierra. She wiped the mess off the table, and mopped her lap as best as she could...but there was still a huge purple stain on her dress. All she could think about was how her dress was ruined and that the stain would take forever to get out. What a way to put a damper on her mood. Well, no matter. She would deal with the magical rabbit later.

Soon, the music stopped playing, and Princess Emeraude and Zagato stopped dancing. Zagato gave Princess Emeraude a rose, and they shared a long deep kiss.

THE END

This has been fun! I must write MKR again!


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